Defying Logic
by Poetgirl925
Summary: Booth gives up pie for Lent and Brennan attempts to understand the logic behind it. What follows is a discussion about what "pie" really means, and Booth and Brennan come to some realizations about their relationship. Rated M for safety on future chapters
1. Chapter 1

**This is my first fanfic for Bones, so any feedback about how I did keeping Booth and Brennan in character is appreciated :) At the moment I am listing this as complete, but I do have an idea or two about how to continue it if I get some interest or good feedback on this portion. **

**Disclaimer: Bones and the characters of the show are the property of Hart Hanson and Fox network. I'm only borrowing them for the fun of it!**

Booth opened the door to the diner and followed Brennan to their usual table. She was very animated today as she told him about an article she read in a recent issue of some forensic anthropology journal. Apparently she disagreed with the author on several points and planned to contact him in order to debate the issue. There was a time when all her "squint speak" would have annoyed him, but now he found it sort of cute and endearing. While he didn't understand everything coming out of her mouth, he had to admit that it didn't really matter. Sometimes just hearing her talk was enough to brighten his mood.

The waitress walked over to take their order as Booth was glancing over the menu. "What'll it be, Bones?" Booth smiled at his partner as he waited for her to order first.

"I'd like the garden salad, water and coffee," she replied, closing her menu.

"You should order some fries," Booth said.

"I won't eat a whole plate of fries, so I'll just have a few of yours. You're having fries, right?"

"Be honest – you always eat at least half, not just _a few_," he teased.

"I'm just helping you save room for your pie," she fired back with a smile as he gave his order and closed the menu.

"No pie today, Bones. I gave it up for Lent."

"But you always have pie. Why would you give that up for Lent?" she asked, her expression confused.

"Lent is about sacrifice. I usually order pie, so now instead of ordering pie I'll reflect on more important things," Booth said.

"What kinds of things?" She looked curious now.

"Well, that's between me and God. "

Brennan continued to look at him in that analytical manner she usually reserved for human remains she was trying to figure out.

Booth sighed. "You know the history of Lent, right?"

"Yes, Booth, I'm aware of the Christian significance. Just because I don't adhere to religious beliefs myself does not mean I'm unaware of what those beliefs are. In the case of Lent the 40 days represent the time Jesus spent in the wilderness resisting the devil's temptations." She took her coffee from the waitress. "I find it interesting, from an anthropological point of view, that the semi-fast of Lent probably originated for practical reasons. Both the subsistence agriculture practices of the time as well as the timing of the fast make it likely that certain food stores from the previous year's harvest were simply running low. British farmers called the same period the "hungry gap."

"Ok, Bones, I don't need the entire anthropological history of the Bible. The important part is the 40 days Jesus spent resisting temptation. So for the next 40 days I'll resist the temptation of pie. It's something I order nearly every day, I enjoy it, and I'll miss it. When I miss it, I'll think about other temptations and how I can resist those as well."

Booth's phone rang and he answered, taking a few minutes to discuss a current case with another agent. When he finished the call, he found Brennan studying him. "What?"

"So pie is like a metaphor for sin in your case," Brennan said thoughtfully.

"Exactly!" He smiled at the waitress as she approached the table with their food.

"Did you choose pie because of what Sweets said?"

Booth looked over at Brennan as the waitress set his burger and fries in front of him. "What Sweets said about what?" He poured ketchup on his plate as she snagged a fry.

"You remember – he said that your attempts to convince me to eat pie were like a seduction of sorts. Assuming God exists, I don't think He really cares if you do or don't eat pie. But if the pie has a sexual connotation then it makes more sense, given your Catholic upbringing and their views on sex."

"Whoa!" Booth said, glancing up at the waitress who was now trying unsuccessfully to keep a straight face. She had overheard enough of their conversations in the past to be both unsurprised and amused.

"Anything else I can get you guys?" the waitress asked innocently. "Some pie, perhaps?"

Booth glared at her. "No – no pie!" He looked back at Brennan as the waitress walked away. "What's wrong with you, talking about something like that in front of the waitress? And for your information, pie is just pie. It's not a metaphor for sex, or seduction, or anything else. Geez, it's just pie."

Brennan put her hands up. "OK, Booth, no need to be so defensive. I'm sure the waitress has heard the word "sex" before." She continued to watch him as she began eating her salad. "If it's not a metaphor, then I don't understand the significance of giving up pie for Lent. Why pie and not your crazy socks or your Cocky belt buckle?"

Booth continued eating, ignoring her now.

Brennan snagged another fry. "I mean, if the whole point is to reflect on resisting the temptation of sin, then giving up something sinful makes more sense. For example, masturbation is something you probably engage in every day. Why not give that up?"

Booth choked on his burger, eyes watering as he grabbed his soda. He took a long drink as he tried to get himself under control. He looked up to find her watching him with a concerned expression.

"Are you ok? You should eat more slowly, you know, and make sure you fully masticate your food in order to avoid choking."

He wiped a hand down his face. "I'm fine ok? Just stop talking about things like…" he lowered his voice to a hiss, "_sex and_ _masturbation_! That is not something I'm going to talk to you about, alright? So just eat your salad and we'll talk about something else. And don't use words like masticate either."

Brennan looked amused. "Booth, masticate has no sexual meaning."

"I know that Bones. Just say "chew" like a normal person."

Booth took another bite of his burger, hoping she would drop the subject. He should have known better.

"I'm merely trying to understand your logic regarding Lent, Booth."

"Well, it's not logical, it's spiritual. Not everything is about logic, you know."

"That's true," Brennan nodded. "Logically speaking, you and I should not be friends or even work well together. We're very different in ways that would normally drive a wedge between two people." She smiled at him. "In our case, I'm happy to say that we defy logic. We value each other, despite our differences, and I wouldn't trade that for anything more rational."

Booth felt something warm spread through his chest as he looked at his partner. She was the only person he knew who could get him completely wound up and agitated and then – just like that – turn the tables and say something so….. _beautiful_. For all her social awkwardness, her tendency to boil things down to "anthropological inevitabilities", and her logic, he knew he wouldn't change one thing about her.

Booth smiled back at her as he pushed his fries toward her. "You're right, Bones. You and I definitely defy logic!"


	2. Chapter 2

**I would like to thank everyone who reviewed, alerted, or favorited this story. It means a lot :) Based on the positive feedback, I've decided to continue the story. My initial thoughts were to continue from Booth's POV, but I found myself in Brennan's (very complicated) head instead. Here's what I came up with. Hope you enjoy, and if you have ideas about where this should go, feel free to drop me a line. I have an idea of my direction with this story, but I'm open to suggestions!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or any of show's characters (more's the pity!)**

Brennan pushed the food around on her plate as her date launched into yet another "fascinating" account of his travels abroad. She wondered if he realized that she likely traveled more than he did and that her trips for anthropological research were far more interesting than his stays at various resorts around the world.

"So, Temperance, I feel like I'm monopolizing the conversation here," Brent said jokingly.

"You are quite long-winded on the subject of your travels," Brennan agreed.

Brent looked disconcerted. "Well, uh…… I know you must travel a lot as well. Tell me about the last trip you took. Was it for work or pleasure?"

"Most of my trips are work-related. This summer I spent six weeks in Guatemala identifying victims of genocide. I work with archaeologists and other anthropologists to excavate mass graves and examine remains that are found. We have photos and other effects of missing persons in the area that we can use to help identify them."

"That sounds a little depressing. Do you ever take some time off just to see the sights? There has to be more to see in Guatemala than mass graves! And it's not like the remains are going anywhere," he laughed.

Brennan stared at him in disbelief. Why would he laugh about genocide victims? She knew that her social skills were not the best, but she didn't see the humor in his little joke at all. She opened her mouth to reply when her phone rang. She fished it out of her bag and answered it.

"Wow Bones, you sound annoyed. Is this a bad time?"

Brennan felt her tension easing at the sound of Booth's voice. "No not at all. What are you doing?"

"I just got a call about a set of human remains found in a storm drain. Are you still at the Jeffersonian? I can pick you up on my way."

Brennan glanced at her date. "I'm actually at a restaurant…. Kinkead's on Pennsylvania Avenue. Can you pick me up here?"

"I can be there in about 20 minutes. Is that good?"

She replied that it was and ended the call. She felt the familiar adrenaline rush she always got when there was a new case, a new mystery to research. Brent was watching her with a resigned look on his face.

"I take it you have to leave?" he asked.

Brennan nodded. She knew that she should feel bad about leaving in the middle of the date. Brent Waldman was a very successful prosecutor with the U.S. attorney's office. He was handsome, charming, and he was involved in some of the same charities she supported. On paper they should have been perfect together, but the entire evening she felt like something was off. These days she spent most of her time with Booth, and not just on cases. As illogical as it was, her evenings with him arguing the merits of television or attending a sports event were more intellectually stimulating than conversation with a brilliant attorney. She found herself wondering when that had happened.

"That was my partner. Some remains have been found that I need to take a look at so he's going to pick me up on his way to the crime scene."

Brent signaled for the check. "No, I understand. We can finish up here and I'll just wait with you until he arrives."

Brennan ate a little more of her fish before excusing herself to the restroom. When she returned, Booth was standing at the table talking to Brent. Both men turned toward her as she walked back to the table. She found herself drawing comparisons between the two men. Both were attractive and successful in their respective fields. From a societal standpoint Brent would be considered the more successful of the two, but Booth was unquestionably the alpha male in the room. She wondered why Brent seemed less attractive to her now than he had at the beginning of the evening.

"How did you know which table was mine?" she asked curiously as she picked up her bag.

"FBI agent Bones…. I have my ways," Booth replied. "I was just introducing myself to Brent here."

"Bones?" Brent asked, looking at her questioningly. "You don't seem the type for nicknames."

"I'm not, but Booth was extremely stubborn about it and refused to call me anything else." She would never admit it to Booth, but the name had grown on her more quickly than it should have. It had made her feel more like his partner, especially during the first year. She retrieved her coat from the coat check and automatically handed it to Booth. He helped her with it as her date looked on uncertainly.

"So, Temperance, I'm sorry this evening was cut short. Maybe we can reschedule for later this week?" Brent smiled at her winningly.

Brennan glanced at him as they all exited the restaurant. "With a new case I doubt I'll have time for dinner plans, Brent. I expect to be quite busy the rest of the week."

Brent looked slightly taken aback by the abruptness of her refusal. Meanwhile, Booth appeared to find something amusing about the whole situation. Brent tried again. "What about next week? I have tickets to the opera and I would enjoy your company."

Brennan's mind had already jumped ahead to the case and she pushed down her irritation at his persistence. "I don't think so, but thank you for the invitation. If I find myself with some free time I might call you." She looked over at Booth. "Shouldn't we be on our way? The more time we waste here, the more time we're giving local law enforcement to compromise my remains."

Booth stepped forward and clapped Brent on the shoulder. "Nice to meet you pal." He opened the door for Brennan and walked around to the driver's side. She found herself watching him as he drove to the crime scene. It was Saturday night, so it seemed logical that he might have had a date.

"What were you doing tonight when you got the call?" she asked.

"I was at a basketball game with a few people from work," he replied. He looked over at her as he said, "So, I take it you won't be seeing Brent again."

"Why would you think that?"

"Well, you were a little harsh back there. Since you're not the type to play "hard-to-get" I just figured you weren't that into him. Am I wrong?"

Brennan considered this. "Logically he and I should be quite compatible. It's true that I did not feel the expected level of excitement at being in his company tonight, but it was a first dinner that was cut short. I should probably give it some more thought before making a decision."

Booth shook his head. "Bones, it's a date. It should be all about excitement, especially on the first date. Maybe you should throw logic out the window for once and ask yourself how you're feeling."

Brennan found herself thinking back to their conversation in the diner. Maybe logic wasn't the way to go when it came to relationships. She considered the relationships that mattered to her the most. Angela, for example – she was an artist who lived life wide open. The two were so different that it really made no sense for them to be such good friends. There was Hodgins, Sweets, Cam, and even some of the interns. These were all people who now mattered to her as more than co-workers. It hadn't been entirely rational when she reconnected with Russ and her father. It was logical to assume that because they had hurt her in the past, they might hurt her again in the future. And then there was Booth, who probably mattered to her more than anyone. She had long ago given up trying to rationalize their friendship.

Brennan looked over at Booth as she thought about all the ways their relationship defied logic. It was something she found herself thinking about more and more often recently. It was confusing, how he seemed to be the standard to which she held all the other men in her life. She admitted to herself that she found him physically attractive. His alpha male attributes, while annoying at times, also contributed to his overall appeal. But with Booth she knew it was somehow more than that.

Her thoughts were interrupted as they arrived at the crime scene and Booth got out of the SUV and walked around to help with her equipment they kept in the back for emergencies.

Booth looked over at Brennan as he got out some of the bags. "As great as you look in that dress, you might want to change first." He handed her one of the Jeffersonian jumpsuits and her gum boots.

Brennan suddenly felt very warm, which made no sense given the cool temperature that evening. Maybe she should take her coat off. She shook her head and said, "I'd rather take an initial look at the crime scene so I can determine how long I think we'll be here, and then I can change."

She busied herself with her equipment bag as Booth conferred with the officers who discovered the remains. She joined Booth, who quickly introduced her to one of the men. "Detective Latimer, this is my partner Dr. Temperance Brennan."

Detective Latimer whistled. "When they said a forensic anthropologist was coming out to take a look at the remains, I pictured a pot-bellied old geezer in glasses."

Brennan noted that Booth looked irritated by this comment. "That is extremely irrational," she said, as Booth suddenly put his hand on her back to lead her toward the crime scene. He shot a pointed look at the detective as he said, "Let's just keep things professional, shall we?"

She felt like she was missing something here, but promptly forgot about it as she bent down to get a better look at the remains in the storm drain. She pulled her gloves on and began to poke and prod at the remnants of decomposed flesh still attached to the bones. She looked at the detective. "Who discovered the body?"

The detective motioned toward two patrol officers standing off to the side. "This area is popular with kids sometimes, they come here to drink or do other things." He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

Brennan was confused. "Other things like drugs?" she asked as Booth suddenly interrupted.

"Why don't we just go talk to the officers, ok Bones?" As he led her away from the detective he said, "You just had to keep that dress on, didn't you?"

Brennan looked down at her dress. It was a royal blue wrap dress that Angela helped her pick out. She thought it looked quite good on her. "What's wrong with my dress?"

"Nothing's wrong with it, if you want every guy here to hit on you. It's a crime scene, and all they're looking at is your…." He paused, then continued, "dress."

"Booth, I can't be held responsible for their lack of attention to the crime scene."

"Just forget it Bones. Let's just get what we need here so we can get everything back to the Jeffersonian."

Booth stood very close to her as they spoke to the two officers who had discovered the body. The youngest one, Officer Clendon, seemed distracted by something and she wondered if this was the first dead person he had seen. Booth was glaring at the young man, which also didn't make sense. As the two officers walked away, Brennan asked, "Did that officer contaminate the crime scene or compromise the remains in some way?"

Booth looked at her. "No. Why would you think that?"

"Because you were glaring at him like he did something wrong, so I assumed it had something to do with the case. Is there another problem with him?"

"He's just not as professional as he could be," Booth muttered.

"He seemed distracted. Is this his first crime scene?" Brennan continued her examination of the remains as she spoke.

"He was distracted because of your dress. He was having trouble keeping his eyes north, which is unprofessional."

"You're saying he was looking at my breasts?" Brennan smiled up at Booth. "He's very young, which means a higher concentration of testosterone. It's just biology Booth, perfectly normal."

"Well, biology or not, it's unprofessional. So let's just drop the subject of your…. dress. Any ideas on sex?"

"He's a little young for me," Brennan replied, confused about why Booth had a sudden interest in her sexual habits, a subject he normally avoided like the plague. Her ideal sexual partner was usually someone in their mid-thirties. Someone like Booth, for example, would be very satisfying in a sexual encounter. She felt sudden heat flood her cheeks as she dropped her gaze from her partner's. What was wrong with her tonight? Why was she thinking about Booth and sex? It had been a while, maybe she did need to give Brent another chance.

Booth looked at her incredulously. "I meant the victim Bones, not Officer Clendon. Geez, he's like twelve years old, he makes Sweets seem mature."

Brennan stood up and said," The victim is female, probably 15-20 years old. I can't determine cause of death before the remains are removed from the drain, so we need this whole portion of the drain sent to the lab, along with soil and water samples from the area. Based on the decomposition, I'd say she's been dead at least a year. Hodgins can be more precise."

Booth jotted down some notes and said, "I'll have Charlie start pulling missing persons in that age group from a year ago." He turned toward the FBI forensic team and started issuing orders for the removal of the evidence to the Jeffersonian. Not for the first time, Brennan thought about how lucky she was to have him as a partner. They had one of the highest case closure rates at the FBI, and Booth allowed her access to the cases that would have been impossible with other agents.

Booth looked back at her as he said, "We have some time before the evidence arrives at the lab. Since I interrupted your dinner, do you want to grab some Thai food on our way back?"

Brennan found she was not at all sorry about the interrupted dinner. A Saturday night with Booth working on a case and eating Thai food in her office suddenly didn't sound too bad at all. She smiled at him. "That sounds good, Booth."

As they walked back to the SUV, Brennan realized she had a lot to think about when it came to her partner.

**So, up next.... I think a little talk with Angela is in order, and we may get around to some of this from Booth's POV as well. Let me know your thoughts! :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks again to everyone who has reviewed, favorited, or alerted this story. I hope you like the direction I'm taking with it. If not, please feel free to offer suggestions as I am completely open to constructive feedback. It took a little longer to update this than I intended, but I've already started on the next chapter so hopefully I will have it up in a day or two. Enjoy ******

**Disclaimer: Still don't own Bones or the characters (I only wish I did!) **

_Brennan felt her body shudder as his lips moved down her neck and she clutched at his shoulders to pull him closer. Booth's head came up and he chuckled as his lips captured hers again. Brennan moaned and began to tug his shirt from his pants. She moved her hands under his shirt, feeling his muscles tense under her teasing hands. She had never felt this way about anyone else before, this desire to rush headlong into something she wasn't entirely sure of. She pushed rational thought away as his hands began rubbing circles on her back. _

"_Bones," he said, as he trailed kisses down her neck again. She began working on the buttons to his shirt as his hands pulled her tighter against him. _

"_Bones," he said again, and she pulled his head down to hers, kissing him with a passion she hadn't felt for anyone else in years. She pushed him down onto the bed and straddled him, twining her fingers with his as she leaned over him. His head came up and their lips met again as she tightened her knees at his waist._

"Hey, Bones!"

Brennan's eyes snapped open to see Booth leaning over her, his hand on her shoulder. They were in her office, not her bedroom, and she blinked rapidly as she tried to shake off her confusion. _It was just a dream_, she thought, and felt her face heating up as she looked at her partner. Booth was eyeing her with a concerned expression on his face.

"Are you alright?" he asked as he helped her sit up.

Brennan nodded as she quickly got up and walked over to her desk. Maybe her embarrassment would fade more quickly if she wasn't looking directly at him. She picked up some papers and began shuffling through them. "What are you doing here? I thought you had Parker today."

"I dropped him off about an hour ago. Rebecca wanted him back by 5:00 since tomorrow is a school day," he said as he walked over to her desk. Brennan sat down at her computer and began reading her emails. Booth put his hands on her desk, leaning in to look at a skull she had examined earlier. She tried not to notice the way his T-shirt hugged his muscular frame under his jacket, and her fingers hit the keys with unnecessary force as she typed a response to her editor. Brennan could feel his eyes on her and knew that her strange behavior was not going unnoticed by her partner.

As if he read her mind, Booth said, "Are you sure you're okay? You seem a little agitated."

"I'm fine, Booth. I just didn't get a lot of sleep last night, and then I came in early today to look at the victim's x-rays. I got tired, fell asleep, and you startled me when you woke me up. There's nothing strange about that." Brennan knew she was being defensive, something that Booth would also notice. Sometimes working with someone who was exceptionally observant was a pain in the ass. She forced herself to look up at him as she said, "So why are you here? We won't have the labs or dental x-rays before tomorrow, and Angela hasn't finished the facial reconstruction yet."

"I tried to call you after I dropped Parker off. When you didn't answer I figured you were here working so I came to see if you were hungry. I'm meeting a couple of people from work over at Founding Fathers." Booth continued to watch her carefully as he said, "You've been here all day haven't you? I mean, it's Sunday, the official day of rest. I bet you haven't eaten since this morning either, so grab your coat and let's go!"

Brennan dropped her gaze back to the computer screen. Every time she looked at Booth her mind jumped back to the dream, which was crazy. It wasn't even the first time she had dreamed about the two of them in a sexual situation. They were both healthy and attractive and with as much time as they spent together, it would be odd if the occasional sexual thought or dream didn't come up. What was bothering her was the fact that she couldn't seem to rationalize it and let it go this time. Her irritation was evident as she replied, "The whole idea of one day holding more significance than another is completely irrational, Booth. Should I ignore obligations such as my book deadline or emailed requests for assistance just because some people believe that an invisible being speaks to them through a sacred book, advising them to rest on Sunday?"

Booth shook his head as he walked around her desk. "You know, you're only saying that to irritate me because you're hoping I'll just leave without you. A couple of years ago that might have worked, but now I know that you're only aggressively hyper analytical when something's bothering you." He pulled her chair away from her desk and turned her computer off. "Whatever it is, you don't have to talk about it right now if you don't want to, but you're definitely getting out of this office."

Brennan sighed as she stood up. She knew him well enough to realize he was serious about not leaving without her, but she needed a little time to clear her head before sitting across a table from him. "Fine, but I'll have to meet you there. I told Angela I would stop by her apartment on my way home this evening. " This was completely untrue, but Booth didn't know that. She picked up her coat and bag, switching off the lights as she followed him out of her office.

Booth grabbed her coat and held it out for her. "Ok, but if you're not there by 7:30, I'm coming to get you." Brennan opened her mouth to protest but he interrupted her. "Look, it will do you good to get out for a little while, eat something, and talk to non-squint types. By the end of the night, you probably won't even remember what was bothering you. And if you do, and you want to talk about it, I'll be there to talk to you." He smiled at her as he led her toward the exit, his hand resting comfortably against the small of her back. Brennan felt her stomach flip over at his touch. Maybe she should stop to see Angela. Her crazy dream had created a situation that was rapidly spinning out of her control, something she was definitely not comfortable with. A little perspective from her friend might help her make sense of it.

Booth walked her to her car and watched as she unlocked the door. "7:30, Bones." He waved at her as he jogged over to his SUV. Brennan cranked her car and hit 3 on her speed dial as she drove through the parking lot. "Ang, are you home right now? There's something I want to talk to you about."


	4. Chapter 4

**So, here we go with Chapter 4. I waffled back and forth with how to approach this. It actually took a bit longer than I thought it would. Anyway, it's done now and I hope you enjoy it! So far I don't have a beta reader, so I edit the chapters as I go. Being an English teacher and writer, I'm pretty good with the editing, but if anyone would like to volunteer to help me work through sticky points or let me bounce ideas off them let me know. Chapter 5 should be up soon as it was originally part of Chapter 4 – I split it since it was getting rather long. Chapter 6 will delve back into casework a bit (for those of you who like that sort of thing) but the story is not really case-centric. Thanks for all the kind reviews and I hope you continue to enjoy the ride!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bones or the characters of the show. I do, however, own Season 4 now on DVD …woohoo!!**

"I think I need to have sex," Brennan said as she walked through the front door of Angela's apartment.

"And hello to you too sweetie," Angela laughed as she closed the door and followed her friend over to the sofa. "As much as I'd like to help you out with that, I think it's probably better if we stick to being BFFs. The whole Roxie thing didn't exactly turn out well you know."

"I don't mean sex with you. I'm having sexual thoughts about Booth."

Angela's eyebrows shot up. "So you want to have sex with Booth?"

"What? No, that's not what I'm saying. I am having dreams and other thoughts about him of a sexual nature. It's just a matter of biology though. I haven't been intimate with anyone in a while, and I spend a lot of time with Booth, so my body is just responding accordingly." Brennan didn't quite meet Angela's eyes as she said this. If what she was saying was so true, then why did it sound like such a load of crap even to her?

Angela cocked her head to the side as she studied her friend. "So what I'm hearing is that you DON'T want to have sex with Booth. Gotta tell ya sweetie, I think you're in the minority there. Most women would LOVE to blow off a little steam between the sheets with tall, dark and sexy."

Brennan toyed with a loose thread on her pullover. "In another situation, I would probably find Booth very satisfying in a sexual encounter. But in view of our friendship and partnership, it would be inappropriate for us to use each other to satisfy sexual urges."

Angela nodded. "I see. So who exactly are you thinking that you should blow off some steam with?"

"I had a date with Brent Waldman last night. He works for the U.S. attorney's office. Our date was cut short when Booth arrived, so I think maybe I should try to reschedule."

"Wait, Booth interrupted your date last night?" Angela leaned back against the sofa. _Now we're getting somewhere_, she thought.

"No, he didn't interrupt. I was with Brent when Booth called about the case, so he stopped by the restaurant to pick me up on his way to the crime scene. Brent was very understanding."

"Yeah, I'm sure he was very understanding when a hot FBI agent showed up to steal his date away." Angela smiled as she shook her head at Brennan's naiveté. "So just to be clear, your plan is to reschedule with Brent and use him to satisfy all your sexual urges. Once these urges are satisfied you won't have to imagine Booth in sexual situations anymore. Then you can continue to spend the majority of your time with Booth free of the desire to sleep with him." For all her brilliance, it totally amazed Angela how completely obtuse Brennan could be when it came to relationships.

"Yes, that's the most logical approach. What Booth and I have…." Brennan paused, then took a deep breath and continued, "I've never had that with anyone else, Ang, except you. I can trust him completely, I can count on him to be there when he says he will, and I can talk to him about things that are impossible for me to talk about with anyone else. If I lost that, I think it would make me very unhappy."

Angela studied Brennan and considered her next words carefully. "Bren, sweetie, what you're really saying is that you're afraid. You and Booth already have a surrogate relationship with each other, but you're afraid to move any further with it because if you do, you think it's going to go away, that HE'LL go away. And I get that, because your whole life the people you've loved have left you. But you're not seeing the big picture here."

Brennan's eyes were suspiciously bright as she looked back at Angela. "What big picture?"

"Booth is not the type to leave. If he were, you and your walls of steel would have run him off years ago. But he's been here for you, and he's chipped away at your walls, and he's put up with your hyper rationality when it comes to friendship and love. Trust me, as much as I love you Bren, that's not always easy." Angela leaned forward and took Brennan's hands in her own. "What I'm getting at here is that he understands you. For all your rationality, underneath you're soft and warm and fragile in ways you don't recognize. But Booth does, and that's why he's good for you."

Brennan looked down at their hands and said, "I don't know what that means."

Angela took a deep a breath. She knew she had to be careful here. "Booth sees all of you, the parts you show the world and the parts you don't. He sees the kickass scientist who can take down gang leaders and solve impossible crimes. And he also sees the woman who needs things she's afraid to admit to. He gives you what you need even when you don't know how to ask for it. That's not going to change just because you take your relationship to the next level."

Brennan shook her head. "There's no way you can know that for sure Angela. You can't just sleep with friends and expect that things won't change."

Angela squeezed Brennan's hands as she said, "I know it's scary to take that leap. What you need to consider is that Booth is quite a catch sweetie, and don't think I'm the only woman to have noticed that. Whether he'll admit it or not, I think what Booth wants is to be with you. But if you won't allow that to happen, then eventually he will move on and find someone else to be with. And yes, he'll still be your friend and your partner but what you need to ask yourself is this. Will you be happy watching him love someone else?"

Brennan was quiet for several minutes as she thought about what Angela said. She knew that it was true. Booth was very appealing to women and eventually one of those women would probably catch his attention. The idea of him with another woman caused a knot of anxiety in her stomach. She knew it was selfish but she just didn't want things to change between them.

Angela stood up and said, "Just think about what I said Bren. Now, want to go grab a drink? I could stand to blow off a little steam myself. This celibacy thing can be a real bitch."

Brennan stood as well and picked up her coat. "I told Booth I would meet him at 7:30 at Founding Fathers. He's there with some friends from work. You should come too, I know Booth wouldn't mind."

Angela quickly agreed. Maybe she could observe the situation and nudge things along if she found an opening. She headed back to her bedroom. "Just let me change first." Glancing at Brennan's jeans and pullover, she said, "You should probably change too. The jeans are fine, but you can borrow one of my shirts and some shoes, maybe some earrings."

"Ang, I've been in Limbo all day. The dead don't usually care what I'm wearing."

"Maybe not, but hot guys in a bar do. Don't argue, sweetie, just follow my lead for once."

Brennan sighed. "Fine, but we need to leave in the next 30 minutes. Booth was very clear that he would come looking for me if he thought I was balling out on him."

Angela laughed. "It's bailing out, Bren, and I'll bet he did. He knew it wasn't good for you to stay cooped up in the lab all day so he got you out of there." _Yet another example of why he was so good for Bren_, she thought as she began sorting through clothes in her closet. She pulled a midnight blue blouse out of her closet that would look amazing with Brennan's eyes. It had a deep V-neck that gathered under the bust then fell away to the hips while the sleeves sort of floated down to the elbow. She grabbed a pair of heels from the closet and handed them to Brennan. "Here, put these on. I have some great earrings that you can wear too, and then maybe a little eye shadow."

"My makeup is fine, Angela."

"I'll just touch it up for you a bit." Angela grabbed a sexy red shirt for herself and pushed Brennan toward the bathroom. "This will go faster if you just give in, you know. "

Unfortunately Brennan did know, having been on the receiving end of Angela's makeovers before going out several times over the years. She decided to let Angela have her fun. Besides, she knew she would look great when Angela finished with her. _And Booth would probably notice_, a little voice in her head whispered. She shoved the thought aside as she changed her shirt and allowed Angela to work her makeover magic.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Booth ordered the next round of beers and returned to his table where Charlie, Peyton Perotta, Perotta's partner Steven Barton, and a new agent by the name of Mark Killinger were all laughing loudly. He smiled as he sat down - it had been a good idea to get everyone out tonight. Their jobs were so intense that it was easy to forget what it was like to just socialize with each other. He glanced at his watch - 7:30 on the nose. He decided to give her a few more minutes before he called.

"You keep looking at your watch," Peyton observed. "Have somewhere else to be?"

"No, I told Bones to meet us here at 7:30," he explained.

"Who's Bones?" Mark asked curiously.

"My partner, Dr. Temperance Brennan with the Jeffersonian."

"Oh yeah, you guys are pretty famous within the Bureau. I've also read some of her books. My partner is on the wrong side of fifty and ugly as hell," he said jokingly. "Dr. Brennan is a little easier on the eyes, I guess."

Booth felt a surge of irritation. He should be used to it, but when men made comments like that it really bothered him. He glanced toward the door again and saw Brennan entering with Angela right behind her. He felt a prickle of awareness as he watched her walk toward their table. She had changed clothes and she looked - well _hot_ was the best adjective he could come up with. He took a quick drink of his beer. He had been having these thoughts about Brennan more and more often lately. It was nothing new really. If he was going to be honest with himself he could admit that he'd been attracted to her from day one. Maybe he hadn't liked her that much at first, but physically his attraction had been immediate. What surprised him lately was more the intensity of his feelings. He could no longer say that it stopped with mere attraction and he wasn't entirely sure what to do with that. It had been a while since he dated anyone. _Maybe I just need to get out more_, he thought as she sat down next to him.

Brennan felt a tingling sensation in her stomach as her eyes met Booth's. She could see the appreciation in his eyes as he looked at her and she was suddenly very glad she had allowed Angela to have her makeover fun. "Sorry we're a little late. Angela insisted that I couldn't wear what I had on earlier while I was working," she explained as she glanced around the table.

Booth smiled at her. "I think you're both worth the wait. Bones, Angela, of course you've met Charlie, Agent Perotta and her partner Agent Barton. This is a new agent in our division, Mark Killinger." Mark extended his hand to both women, though Booth noticed that he lingered slightly with Brennan.

"Pleasure to meet both of you," Mark said easily. "I have to say, Dr. Brennan, I am a fan of your books. Between your work with Agent Booth and at the Jeffersonian, it's amazing that you find the time."

"I've never really understood why people say that. It's just a matter of scheduling the time and then maintaining that schedule. Though you're correct, I do stay quite busy," Brennan said as she removed her coat. Booth reached over to help her with it. His hands lingered slightly against her shoulders and she felt the familiar tightening in her chest at his touch. _Stop it_, she scolded herself. No matter what Angela said, she had seen no signs from Booth that indicated his interest in her was anything other than that of a friend and partner. While Ange seemed to think that if she made the first move it would be reciprocated, she admitted to fearing his reaction. The last thing she wanted to do was ruin what was between them.

Booth cleared his throat and said, "Ok I'll go order your drinks. Red wine for Bones - what about you Angela?"

"Something fruity with a kick to it. I'm feeling frisky," Angela responded with a wink.

Brennan stood up. "I'll go with you," she said.

As they walked away, Mark said, "Working with such beautiful women, I'm amazed Booth gets any work done."

"We all have our crosses to bear," Steve joked back, nudging Perotta playfully as she rolled her eyes.

Perotta glanced over at the bar, then said, "Just some friendly advice, Mark - I'd tone it down a little where Dr. Brennan is concerned. Booth can get touchy on that subject."

"Oh - so they have a personal relationship?" Mark asked. "I thought that sort of thing was frowned on within the Bureau."

"Technically, Brennan is not FBI," Angela said.

"So they are involved?" he persisted.

"I think that's their business," Angela responded. He was showing just a little too much interest in Bren, and she had not tagged along to watch some other guy interfere with what she was hoping might develop between the partners. She leaned forward and added playfully, "I, on the other hand, am completely available this evening."

When Booth and Brennan returned to the table with the drinks, Angela and Mark were trading flirtious remarks while Perotta and Steve looked on in amusement. Brennan took a sip of her wine and tried not to notice how good Booth smelled as he leaned closer.

"So, are you going to tell me what was bothering you earlier?" he asked.

She kept her eyes on her wine glass, drawing her finger around the rim. "It was nothing. I just.... I've had some things to think about lately I guess."

Booth watched her carefully. Whatever it was, it was clearly still bothering her and he wished she would tell him about it. The fact that she was so unsure told him that it wasn't nothing. He pushed her hair back and his fingers tingled from the contact. "You can talk to me about anything, you know. I won't push, just remember that."

Brennan tried to stop the shiver than ran through her. She looked at Angela and said, "It looks like Angela likes the new agent."

Booth considered the two of them. "Nah, I think she's just flirting, being Angela you know?"

"What? How do you know that?" Brennan asked.

"Because that's exactly how she used to flirt with me, and she had no intention of following through with it," he said.

"Hmm. I guess you could be right. She's still following Sweets' advice about being celibate in order to form deeper connections. I'm not sure I understand that."

"What, being celibate? It won't kill you, Bones," he pointed out.

"I know that, and for your information I myself have been celibate for quite some time."

Booth sat back, surprised. "Really? What about Brent, the perfect-on-paper attorney?"

"I have no intention of sleeping with him at this point. I'm still thinking about some things," she admitted.

Now he was really curious. Brennan didn't usually think those kinds of things through, so the fact that she was doing so now made him want to know why. Perotta interrupted his thoughts as she turned to Brennan.

"So, I hear that your new book is coming out next week," she said.

Brennan nodded. "Yes, the book launch party is Wednesday night and I have a book signing on Thursday." She had been thinking about asking Booth to come to the party with her, and turned to him before she could talk herself out of it. "Actually, I wondered if you'd like to come to the launch party with me."

"Really? You never ask me to come to those things," he said. He saw a look of uncertainty pass over her features and mentally kicked himself. "Of course, I'd love to go. Can I read the book?"

"Sure... on Wednesday when it comes out," she replied with a smile. He always asked, even though he knew she wouldn't let him read it early. She had found herself thinking about Booth quite a lot while working on this book - especially certain parts. She felt warmth creeping into her cheeks and she looked over at Angela. "I think I'm going to the restroom."

Angela stood up as well. "I'll come with you." They walked to the restroom and Angela said, "So, I heard you asking Booth to your launch party next week."

"It doesn't mean it's a date, Ange. We're friends and he does accompany me to functions upon occasion." Brennan got a damp towel and pressed it against her still flushed cheeks. "So you seem to like Mark. Are you planning to put an end to your celibacy experiment?"

"With that guy? Definitely not. Just having a little fun," Angela replied.

"That's what Booth said. How does he always know these things?"

"It's that gut instinct sweetie, he just reads people."

Brennan sighed and turned toward the door. "Well, I find his gut both interesting and frustrating." They walked back to the table to find Booth missing. "Where's Booth?" Brennan asked.

"He went up to get you another glass of wine, but it looks like he found someone to talk to," Mark nodded toward the bar.

Brennan and Angela both looked in the direction he indicated. Booth was standing at the bar and they could see him talking to a tall blonde woman. "She looks familiar," Angela observed. As the woman turned her head toward the bartender, they could see her more clearly. "Wait, is that who I think it is?"

Brennan felt a sinking sensation in her stomach. "It's Tessa," she said quietly.


	6. Chapter 6

Hi everyone! Sorry to leave you hanging so long but I had to stay away from this site for a while due to a popup issue I was having that led to a computer virus. I think I have my filters set properly now though so I'm updating this story here. I am currently up to 18 chapters, so I will try to get caught up as quickly as I can. Thanks for reading, and if you are interested I am also posting a new story today called 'The Bones in the Dungeon' – I am up to 32 chapters on that one, and again I will try to get caught up as quickly as I can. Thanks!

Chapter 6

Booth was standing at the bar waiting for Brennan's wine when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned, expecting to see Brennan, and instead found a woman he definitely hadn't expected to see. "Tessa, wow... it's been a really long time."

"Yes, it has, hasn't it? How are you Seeley?" Tessa smiled at him.

"Good. What are you doing here?" He felt slightly uncomfortable and glanced back at the table to see if Brennan and Angela had returned.

"I was meeting a friend for drinks, but he just called to say he couldn't make it. I was leaving when I saw you. Are you here with someone?"

"Yeah, I'm here with some people from work," he said. The bartender returned with the wine and Booth fished some money out of his pocket to pay the man.

"Would you mind if I joined you for a few minutes?"

"Um... sure," he said. They walked back to the table and everyone looked up as they approached. He offered Tessa his chair, then pulled another chair over to sit next to Brennan. "Tessa, you remember Dr. Brennan and Angela Montenegro."

Tessa nodded. "Of course. It's nice to see you again Dr. Brennan. Angela, you too." She looked around the table as Booth continued the introductions. After speaking to each person she turned back to Brennan. "I hear you have a new book coming out next week. That must be exciting."

"Yes, the launch party is Wednesday. I'll do a reading and then sign books for about an hour," Brennan replied as she took a sip of her wine.

Angela leaned toward Booth. "Hopefully they'll have that weirdo stalker banned this time, but at least you'll be there if he shows up again."

Booth's head whipped around to look at Brennan. "What weirdo stalker? Bones, what is she talking about?"

Brennan glared at Angela. "You promised me you would never mention that in front of Booth."

Angela sat back - Booth's attention was definitely off Tessa now. _Mission accomplished_, she thought. "Sorry sweetie, guess I forgot."

Brennan shot her a look of disbelief as Booth waved his hand between them. "What weirdo stalker, Bones?" His voice had a definite edge to it that told her there was no way he was going to drop it.

"It's nothing Booth. After my last book signing there was a small.... incident. Security intervened, he was arrested, and my publisher has his photo so the people organizing the event know to watch for him," she explained. "Really, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Well, they did suggest that Bren get a restraining order, but she said it wasn't necessary," Angela offered helpfully.

"Angela!" Brennan said warningly.

"What the hell kind of incident was this exactly, and why didn't I know about it?" Booth was starting to feel angry. They were partners - he couldn't believe she would keep something like that from him.

"It was nothing really," Brennan began, only to be interrupted by Angela.

"He followed us back to Brennan's apartment and tried to corner her as she was entering the building," Angela said. Brennan kicked her under the table, and Angela shrugged innocently.

"He followed you... to your home... and you thought a restraining order wasn't necessary?" Booth's voice was rising slightly. "Why did you keep this from me?"

"Booth you tend to be unnecessarily overprotective at times. I just didn't want to make a big deal about it. The security guards at my building intervened, though it probably wasn't necessary. As soon as he touched me I punched him. I assure you he didn't try to touch me again. He was arrested for trespassing, since the incident occurred in the lobby. As far as a restraining order, I just didn't think he was that dangerous." Plus, she had been pretty sure there would be no way to keep Booth from finding out about a restraining order.

Booth was fuming now as he made a mental note to call her publisher in the morning. He wanted this guy's name, photo and personal history before Wednesday. His thoughts were interrupted by Tessa.

"I see not much has changed - the two of you were always arguing as I recall," she commented as she gave them a considering look.

"We don't argue. Booth calls it bickering," Brennan said. "I'm not sure I understand the difference, but he says there is one."

"Married couples bicker, that's the difference," Angela said with a smile as she downed the last of her drink. "I think I need another one of these. Tessa, can I get you something?"

"No, thanks. I should actually be going," she said as she stood up. "Seeley, would you mind walking out with me for a minute?"

Booth sighed and stood up, giving Brennan a look that said they weren't finished with the conversation. She ignored the look as she began a conversation with Charlie. She didn't want to think about Booth outside with Tessa. Angela returned with another drink for herself and another glass of wine for Brennan.

Brennan sipped her third glass of wine, beginning to feel a bit flushed. Booth had been outside for several minutes now, and as much as she didn't want to wonder what was going on she couldn't seem to help herself. She looked up to find Charlie staring at her, and realized she had missed what he said. "Sorry, I didn't hear you."

"I was just asking about the new case, but I can see you're thinking of something else," Charlie replied.

Brennan thought of Booth and Tessa again. "Do you have a girlfriend Charlie?" She had never asked him anything personal before and he was a little confused by the question.

"Uh - no, not at the moment," he said.

"We're social creatures though, anthropologically speaking. Even when we're not engaging in a monogamous relationship, we feel the need to connect with others, to satisfy our needs on a basic level - you would agree with that, correct?"

Charlie's mouth had dropped open, and he shifted in his seat uncomfortably. "I guess so?" _God, was she hitting on him?_ He couldn't quite believe it, but had no other explanation for it.

"It's perfectly normal, seeking that connection," Brennan said almost to herself, taking another sip of wine.

Angela had been listening and took pity on Charlie. "She's not hitting on you, she's making an anthropological observation," she explained. She smiled as his expression relaxed - his look of relief was almost comical.

Brennan was still lost in her own thoughts as she glanced at her watch again, wondering what Booth and Tessa were talking about outside. She downed the rest of her wine and looked at Angela. "I think I want to try one of those drinks that you have," she said.

Angela raised her eyebrows. "Are you sure? It's kind of strong and that was your third glass of wine."

"Yes, I'm sure. Just one," she said. She walked over to the bar and placed her order. If she was going to have to think about Booth with Tessa, she needed more alcohol.

Booth had been standing outside with Tessa talking for a while, and he glanced surreptitiously at his watch. He looked back at her as she leaned in, touching his arm lightly as she told him about a case she was working on. It was weird seeing her again. They had been close once and when it had all fallen apart, he wasn't even sure why. Part of him still wondered about it, but a larger part wondered if it even mattered now. While she had been the one to end things, he was honest enough to admit that their relationship had been on shaky ground for a while before that.

"So, you and Dr. Brennan are still partners," Tessa said. "I always wondered if that would work out. You complained about her a lot, but I always got the impression that you were attracted to her underneath it all."

Booth felt a surge of irritation. She had implied that once before when they had been dating, and he didn't like the implication. "I was never unfaithful to you, Tessa. Bones was my partner then, nothing more."

"And now?" she asked.

"I don't see how that's your business," he said evenly.

"It's really not. I was just curious. I still think about you... about us, sometimes. I wonder if I made a mistake then, ending the relationship when I did. I admit I felt insecure about our relationship - there was a part of you I felt I couldn't reach, and I always thought you showed more of that side to her, I guess. I'm not proud of it, but that's the truth," she explained with a little smile.

Booth sighed and ran his hand over the back of his neck. "You're not wrong, exactly. The nature of my job, the things I see - they're hard to talk about with people who don't see the same things. I guess that part of my life was easier to share with her."

Tessa stepped forward. "Look, I know it's been a long time, but I'd really like to see you again. Maybe we could meet one night for a drink?"

Booth hesitated. "I don't know, Tessa. What we had was a long time ago."

"And I'm not saying we should go back to that. I'd just like to have a friendly drink, talk a little. Just friends," she said again.

He finally nodded. "I'll call you next week."

She hailed a cab and turned back as she opened the door. "I look forward to it."

Booth watched the cab pull away, wondering why he'd just agreed to see her again.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Booth walked back into the bar and headed back over to their table. Glancing around, he asked, "What happened to Bones and Angela?"

Mark nodded toward the bar. "Your partner gained a few admirers when she went for a drink, so Angela's running interference."

Booth looked over at the bar. Sure enough, three men were talking to Bones and Angela. He felt the familiar feeling of irritation as he watched one of the men lean closer to Brennan. He knew it was ridiculous - after all, she was beautiful so of course men would notice her. He reminded himself that they were just friends, but he was having a harder time with it lately. He was beginning to think he wanted more than that with her, but it was Brennan - how did he even begin to approach that?

As he walked up behind Brennan, he heard her say, "Sex is a very basic need within all societies regardless of the race of the society's members, the alien nature of their customs, or the simplicity of their material culture. We all have a basic need for connection among our own kind."

Booth's eyebrows snapped together. _What the hell_, he thought as Angela looked up and noticed him standing behind Brennan.

Looking a little relieved, she stood up. "Good, you're back. I think I'm going to let you take this from here."

Brennan turned and saw him. "Booth, I was just telling our new friends about the anthropological..."

Booth interrupted her. "Yeah, I heard. Bones, what exactly have you been drinking, and how many of them did you have?" He looked suspiciously at her nearly empty pink drink.

"Just two.... like Angela's," she said. "I'm not drunk."

Booth looked at Angela. "That's after three glasses of wine, so don't let her fool you. She's totally hammered," Angela said.

Booth sighed and ran a hand down his face, then reached for Brennan's arm. "Ok, I'm taking you home. Let's go."

Brennan stood up a bit unsteadily. "I left my car at Angela's house."

"I'll drive you to work in the morning. Right now you need some water and sleep," Booth said, noting that the men at the bar appeared disappointed.

One of them stood up saying, "Temperance, it was nice to meet you. Maybe I could get your phone number?"

Booth put his arm around Brennan and shot the guy a warning glance. "I don't think so, pal." He led her back over to the table and helped her on with her coat. They said their goodbyes and walked outside. Brennan turned her face up to the sky. The cool air felt really good against her face, and she conceded that maybe she was slightly more intoxicated than she had realized.

She turned to Booth and said, "That was a little rude, you know. They were really interested in what I was telling them."

"Bones, they heard you say 'sex' and probably thought you were hitting on them, or they had a chance to go home with you later. You can't talk about things like that to a man in a bar, it gives them the wrong idea. I mean, how do you not know these things," he muttered as he opened the passenger door of the SUV to help her in. He walked around and got in.

Brennan thought about this. "Oh.... you could be right I guess. I have an interest on an academic level, and these are discussions I have with colleagues, so I guess I forget that for most people sex is a more taboo subject."

"It's not taboo exactly, you just can't go around talking about it to strange men. I'm a man, and if a beautiful woman in a bar started that conversation with me I'd think she was hitting on me - in a very strange and awkward way, maybe, but I'd definitely think she was hitting on me."

Brennan turned her head on the seat. "You think I'm beautiful?"

He glanced at her, swallowing hard as he turned his eyes back to the road. "Of course." He could feel her eyes on him and he shifted uncomfortably. Sometimes he felt like he deserved a medal for the self control he showed around his partner.

When they arrived at her apartment, he opened the door and went to get a bottle of water. He returned to find her sitting on the couch with her eyes closed. "Are you ok?" he asked as he sat beside her.

She opened her eyes and nodded. "I'm not really that drunk, it's starting to fade a little." She took the bottle of water from him and took a long drink.

"You should drink all of that, or you're going to feel it tomorrow," he warned.

She nodded. "So, how was your talk with Tessa?"

Booth shrugged. "I don't know. Nothing new, really. She wanted to revisit the past, but it's been so long that I don't see that it really matters now."

Brennan picked at the label on her water bottle. "Why did you break up? You never said, and I was afraid to ask back then."

Booth looked over at her. "I don't know that there was one specific reason. Technically she ended it, but things weren't really right between us by then anyway. I think..." he hesitated.

"What?" Brennan was curious now.

"She said she was jealous of you, of our partnership."

"Oh. But we were barely even friends then, so it doesn't make sense."

"But you were a beautiful woman that I was spending time with, and I think that bothered her."

"But it wasn't like that between us. I mean, you were never attracted to me," Brennan pointed out, feeling a twinge as she said it.

Booth didn't answer, and Brennan felt suddenly warmer. "Were you?" she asked softly.

"Maybe there was something there," he admitted. "But I would never have acted on it, and it was insulting when she implied that I might."

Brennan felt her heart racing faster. Before her nerve could abandon her, she slid closer to him on the couch and ran her hand down his arm, trailing her fingers across his hand. "What about now?"

Booth jumped at her touch. "Bones, what are you doing?"

"I'm doing something that I should have done a long time ago," she said as she pressed her lips to his jaw line.

He placed his hands on her shoulders as he attempted to move her back. "You're drunk," he said, wishing desperately that wasn't the case.

"Not that drunk," she murmured, moving her lips to his throat. She moved suddenly, straddling his lap and placing her hands on his shoulders. She pressed her lips to his, and he lost the will to fight it. Their first real kiss was hotter than he could have imagined and he felt it throughout his entire body. He slid one hand into her hair as the other settled on her hip, pressing her closer. Their mouths meshed, tongues tangled, and it was headier than any wine he'd ever tasted.

She suddenly pulled back and stood up, taking his hand to lead him into her bedroom. They stopped at the foot of the bed, and Brennan turned to him. She reached up and pushed his jacket off, then began unbuttoning his shirt. She ran her hands across his chest, wondering why she had waited so long to do this. Her hands slid down toward his belt, and she felt a tremor run through him. His hand came up to grasp hers.

"Bones, are you sure about this?" he whispered.

She smiled. "I've never been more sure of anything." She undressed him and then he returned the favor, his hands sliding firmly over her soft skin. It felt amazing, and she was sure she had never felt this level of attraction for anyone else. She thought about her dream as she pushed him back onto the bed and slid on top of him. She bent and nipped his shoulder lightly. He laughed a little as he rolled her beneath him, kissing her hungrily before his lips traveled down her neck and down further still.... her last clear thought was that, for all his hang-ups when talking about sex Booth was definitely NOT a prude in the bedroom.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Brennan came awake slowly as she felt a hand brushing her hair to the side, followed by lips gently pressing against the nape of her neck. She shivered slightly as the hand continued down her shoulder and back. She turned her head to look at Booth. It was early still, the grey light of morning slanting through her blinds.

"Good morning," he said softly.

She smiled at him as she answered. "Good morning."

They were both quiet for a moment as they thought about the changes in their relationship last night's events had brought about. Brennan suddenly felt unsure of the boldness she had exhibited toward him. She had never before felt that way after sleeping with a man, but this was Booth, her friend and her partner. Uncharacteristic it might be, but she found herself at a loss for words.

"Do you want to talk about this?" Booth asked her.

"I'm not sure what to say," she admitted.

"I don't have any regrets, if that's what you're worried about," he said.

"How did you know I was worried?"

"Because I know you Bones. You're nibbling on your bottom lip and you only do that when you're worrying about something." He reached a finger out to touch her lip gently. "It's sexy, by the way. Then again, watching you stare at bones turns me on sometimes too."

"What? Really?" She laughed at that idea.

"I think it's something about the intensity of it," he said as he laughed with her. He reached over and pulled her into his arms, running one hand down until he could rub circles into the small of her back. She wiggled against him as he kissed her slowly and sweetly, then more insistently.

"Maybe we can finish talking later," she said as she slid one knee across his hip.

An hour later Booth got out of the shower to hear his phone ringing. He wrapped a towel around his hips as he ran to get it. "Booth."

Brennan stepped out of the bathroom behind him, stopping to press a kiss to his shoulder. He ran one hand down her arm as he spoke to the person on the other end of the line. "Yeah, I'll pick Dr. Brennan up on the way - probably about an hour." He snapped the phone closed and pulled her in for another kiss.

She pulled back and asked, "Crime scene?"

He nodded. "Same general location as that body we found in the storm drain. Anonymous call said we could find another body in a well nearby."

She went to her closet to pull out clothes for the day. "Do you need to go home to get dressed?"

He shook his head. "I picked up some stuff from the cleaners on Saturday, so I have a suit and some shirts and ties in the truck. Everything else I need is in the emergency bag I keep in there. I'll run down in a minute and get it."

She watched him dress and he grinned at her as he grabbed his keys. "Like what you see?"

She smiled back. "I think you already know that I do." He kissed her head as he walked out, and she finished drying off and dressed quickly. She was drying her hair when he returned. The routine was both foreign and familiar - it wasn't the first time they had stayed in the same room together, but the new intimacy definitely heightened their awareness of each other.

As they were pouring coffee in the kitchen later, Booth suddenly turned to her. "How do you want to handle this?"

"Handle what exactly? Our sexual relationship?" she asked.

"Well yeah, but specifically with regard to work. Should we keep it to ourselves for a while or tell people?"

She considered this for a moment. "I really don't want to hide it from everyone."

He felt relief course through him. He suddenly realized how worried he'd been that this was only temporary. The fact that she wasn't planning to keep it a secret told him that wasn't the case. "I agree that we don't have to hide it, but I think we should be discreet."

"You mean keep things more professional when we're working? So, no kissing at the crime scene?"

He saw the teasing glint in her eye. "I'll try to control myself," he said with amusement. He found himself wondering about the coming night. He really didn't want to spend the night away from her, but he didn't want to rush her either. "So tonight.... do you uh, want me to stay here? Or you could stay with me at my apartment," he offered.

She looked at him over he coffee cup. "Do you want to stay with me?"

"I want to be with you. Location doesn't matter so much to me. But if you need to be alone, I understand that too." He felt nervous again as he waited for her to answer. He could almost see the gears turning in her brain as she thought it over.

Finally she looked back at him and replied, "Now that things between us are different, I think I'd like to be with you at night. We could take turns, if you like."

"Whatever you want," he said as he stepped forward to kiss her. It started light and immediately began turning into something more. He pulled back abruptly and rested his forehead against hers. "Ok, if we don't stop we'll never make it to that crime scene on time. Tonight though," he kissed her again, gently, before continuing. "Tonight, we will definitely pick this up where we left off." As far as he was concerned, "tonight" couldn't come soon enough.


	9. Chapter 9

**For the purposes of this story, Angela is still on her celibacy kick :)**

Chapter 9

Booth and Brennan arrived at the crime scene to find local police, as well as the same detective from Saturday, presiding over the scene. FBI techs were also milling around, and Brennan got out of the SUV eager to get started. She walked around to the back for her equipment bag, which Booth was already lifting out for her. They walked over to Detective Latimer, whose eyes brightened when they landed on Brennan.

"Well, if it isn't the Hot Doc," he said, winking at her.

Brennan felt annoyed by his rather sexist attitude. "I prefer Dr. Brennan, if you don't mind. Nowhere on any of my degrees does it say 'Hot Doc'." She walked past him dismissively.

Detective Latimer let out a low whistle. "Man, she's a fiery one huh?"

"Hey look, I'd appreciate it if you treated my partner with a little more respect," Booth said, his expression clearly showing his irritation with the man. "I hear you or anyone else here referring to her as anything other than 'Dr. Brennan' we're going to have a problem. Are we clear?"

Detective Latimer looked at Booth as he wondered about his relationship with his partner. Finally he said, "Hey, no offense. I'm mostly bark anyway. Guess you could say I tend to shoot my mouth off."

"Yeah well, save it for the case," Booth said shortly. As they walked toward the old well he asked, "Have you determined whether or not there's actually a body down there?"

Latimer shrugged. "Cadaver dog alerted, so I'd say it's likely, but we can't see worth a plug nickel down that hole."

When they reached Brennan, she was shining a high beam light down the well. Her expression was frustrated as she turned to Booth. "This well is deep, and I can't see well enough to even be certain there's a body down there. I need some climbing gear in order to go down."

"Whoa, Bones, you are not going down the well. One of the evidence recovery techs can go down," Booth replied, motioning to the recovery team.

"Booth, we have no idea what state the remains are in, or how fragile the scene might be. What if they disturb something? I should go down first to make an initial observation and photograph the scene. Then the techs can begin recovery," she argued.

Booth tried to squash his irritation. "Bones, we're not even sure how deep that well is. I'm not letting you just drop down a black hole, we don't even know what the h3ll is down there. FBI techs first."

"You're not letting me? Booth, I don't answer to you." She began putting on the harness she would need in order to go down the well. The recovery team was standing by silently - they knew better than to interfere between the partners.

"In the field you do, so deal with it." He knew it was the wrong thing to say even before she turned toward him with an aggravated expression.

"As your partner I've come to accept your overbearing, alpha male traits as a given when it comes to my safety, and as they existed before we started having intercourse I didn't expect them to disappear. While I realize they'll likely increase now that you're satisfying me sexually and have in essence staked a claim, you should realize that my reaction to those tendencies is not going to decrease. I am perfectly capable of making my own decisions and of taking care of myself, so _you_ can deal with that."

Booth felt every pair of eyes shoot toward them. He stepped forward and pulled Brennan a short distance away. "Please tell me I just hallucinated."

"What? Why would you think you're hallucinating?" She asked as she reached to put a hand to his head. "Are you feeling ill?"

"Because I'm hoping what I just heard was some sort of auditory hallucination and you did NOT just announce to everyone at a crime scene that we're sleeping together!" He didn't know why he was surprised. Every time he thought he had reached a point where nothing else coming out of her mouth could catch him off guard, she raised the bar on him. He looked over at the recovery team - there was no chance this wouldn't be all over the Hoover before the end of the day. So much for talking to Cullen about things before he caught it on the rumor mill.

"Booth, you said we didn't have to hide it," she reminded him. "Besides, I'm sure everyone was too busy working to listen to what we were saying."

"Discreet, Bones, remember discreet? And I'm just as sure they all heard it, which means everyone else will know too by the time I get back to my office."

"You don't want your co-workers to know about us?" Her tone was neutral but he could see the flash of hurt that crossed her expression.

He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Hey, that's not it. Of course I don't mind that my co-workers know we're together. I was just hoping to talk to Director Cullen about the change before everyone else found out. Technically you're not FBI so the fraternization rules don't apply, but we are partners. I wanted to assure him that this won't change our professional approach to our work."

"That's logical, I suppose," she admitted. She looked around as all eyes immediately looked away, as if no one had been watching the entire scene unfold. "You really think they all heard what I said?"

"Yeah, Bones, they definitely all heard it," he said, suddenly smiling. "It doesn't matter though, I'll deal with Cullen. Besides, I'm the envy of every man here now." He squeezed her hand before releasing it.

She sighed and said, "I'm willing to compromise regarding the crime scene. A recovery tech can go down first, provided he touches nothing, and if everything is safe then I will go down to make an observation on the scene before they remove anything. Is that acceptable?"

He put an arm around her as they walked back toward the well. "Compromise is good."

Brennan returned to the Jeffersonian later that morning and headed for her office. She was just sitting down at her desk when Angela walked in. "So, Booth got you home ok I guess. How's the head?"

"Fine. I feel quite good today, as a matter of fact," Brennan replied, smiling as her friend sat down across from her.

Angela regarded her closely for a moment before her mouth fell open. "You had sex last night!" She pointed an accusing finger at Brennan.

"How did you know?" Brennan asked, surprised.

"Because you have that 'someone rocked my world' glow, that's how. Bren, how could you?"

Brennan was confused. "I really expected you of all people to be happier about it."

"Happy that you succumbed to the temptation of a drunken booty call? Sweetie, you're never going to get anywhere with Booth if you continue to take the easy way when it comes to relationships. We talked about this, remember?"

"Wait - who do you think I had sex with last night?"

"Brent the wonder boy attorney, right?" Now Angela was confused.

Brennan laughed as she shook her head. "No, Ange, I most certainly did not call Brent last night."

"Then who..." Angela broke off at Brennan's smug expression. "You didn't - did you? Oh my god, you did!" She jumped up and rounded Brennan's desk to hug her. "How did that happen, exactly?"

"We were talking and I decided to take the initiative. Booth turned out to be quite amenable to a personal shift in our partnership," Brennan said, eyes sparkling.

Angela laughed as she replied, "Yeah, I'll just bet. Was it as good as I imagine it was?"

"That would depend on your imagination, but I can assure you that it was probably better."

Angela pulled her up and led her out the door. "Coffee and details first, then work. I need vicarious thrills."


	10. Chapter 10

**Readers, you may experience some brief turbulence. Fasten your seatbelts, please.... ;-)**

Chapter 10

Booth arrived back at his office feeling happier than he had any right to considering he had just left the scene of what would probably prove to be a double homicide. He swung by the break room for coffee before walking back toward his office. He passed Perotta, Barton and Killinger along the way.

Killinger looked up and smirked at Booth. "Having a good day today?"

Booth stopped at the door to his office and looked at him suspiciously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Perotta suddenly bit her lip and looked away, and Barton coughed as Killinger replied, "Nothing, absolutely nothing."

Booth continued into his office, only to stop dead before his chair - there sat a large bear wearing a T-shirt with the words "Squint Whipped" written in carefully blocked letters. _Oh yeah_, he thought as he moved the bear from his chair. They definitely all heard about this morning. He could hear some laughter from outside his office but decided to ignore it. He was in a good enough mood to let them have their fun but he knew there was one thing he couldn't ignore. Bracing himself for the conversation to come, Booth grabbed a file from his desk and made the short trip to Director Cullen's office.

Cullen's secretary looked up as he walked in. "Is he available?" Booth asked, nodding toward the office door.

Sheila picked up the phone to check, then motioned him toward the door. Booth took a deep breath before walking into Cullen's office. Cullen looked up from his paperwork as Booth entered. "Agent Booth, have a seat. I heard there was a second body called in from the crime scene you processed on Saturday."

"Yes sir, I have the file here. Dr. Brennan is still working with the remains from Saturday and the second body is on its way to the Jeffersonian now."

"What do we know about the first victim?" Cullen asked.

"We know the victim was female, likely a teenager. Initial estimate puts death at around a year ago, but we're still waiting for the report from Dr. Hodgins."

"So no ID or cause of death yet?"

Booth shook his head. "No sir. Dr. Brennan is trying to get something on cause of death today and we should have the facial reconstruction some time this afternoon also."

Cullen closed the file and added it to the pile on his desk. "Ok, keep me informed." When Booth made no move to leave he looked back up at him. "Was there something else?"

"Yes sir. I wanted to talk to you about Dr. Brennan, sir."

"Is there a problem?" he questioned.

"No sir, there's no problem but I wanted you to know that there's been a change in my partnership with Dr. Brennan. I think others are aware of it now and I wanted you to hear it from me."

Cullen's mouth quirked up as he said, "I assume you're referring to the argument between you and Dr. Brennan at the crime scene this morning?"

_Damn_, Booth thought. "So you heard about that?"

Cullen snorted as he sat back in his chair. "There's not an agent in this building who hasn't heard about that, Booth. Hell, they're probably talking about it in the Justice Department too. Caroline always has her ear to the ground."

Booth shuddered slightly as he thought about Caroline. "Sir, my personal relationship with Dr. Brennan will not affect our partnership. We're both professionals and I believe we can handle the changes without any significant impact to our work."

Cullen waved his hand dismissively. "I'm not about to break up the best crime solving team I have. As long as you can make it work, I have no objections. Though I do wish you had waited a few months."

Booth was confused by his last statement. "Sir?"

"I had a hundred bucks on you and Dr. Brennan getting together during the holidays."

So now the whole office was betting on his relationship with Brennan. Booth had a feeling he was in for a lot of ribbing from the other agents, but at the end of the day he'd be going home to a woman who made happier than he'd felt in a long time. If a few jokes were the price he had to pay for that, he'd endure it willingly. He had his hand on the door when Cullen spoke up again. "She still can't have a gun, Booth."

Booth swallowed back a laugh. "No sir, no gun."

Back in his office he started going through the massive amounts of paperwork that always seemed to grow no matter how many files he worked through each day. It was after 1:00 when he finished the notes on another completed case. Booth knew Brennan wouldn't leave the lab for lunch once the latest remains were delivered so he decided to go by the diner and take lunch to her. He was turning off his computer when he heard a knock at his door. He looked up to find Tessa standing in the doorway. "Tessa? What are you doing here?"

"I was here to pick up a file for a client so I decided to stop and see if you'd like to have lunch."

Booth sighed and ran a hand over the back of his neck. "Look, I know I said I would call but..."

She held up her hand to interrupt. "I'm not looking to start things up between us again, Seeley. I'd just like to talk for a few minutes. Old friends, right?"

Booth nodded reluctantly. "I'm headed to a diner near the Jeffersonian to pick up lunch for Bones since she's busy at the lab. If you'd like you can meet me there and we can talk for a few minutes."

Tessa smiled warmly at him. "Sounds good, but I can ride with you. I took a cab over here. I hate parking in the structure."

Booth followed Tessa out, suddenly acutely aware of all the agents watching and no doubt speculating as to what he was doing with the tall blonde woman. He met Perotta's eyes as he walked past and she raised her eyebrows at him. He sighed in resignation. He had a feeling it was going to be a long week.

Brennan was just completing her initial examination of the latest set of remains when Angela walked up the steps to join her on the forensic platform. "I finished the facial reconstruction for the victim found on Saturday." She held up her sketch. The girl had large eyes and high cheekbones, and Brennan noted it was a characteristic shared by the second victim as well.

"What's wrong?" Angela asked.

"I think the two victims might be related," Brennan stated. "They share strikingly similar characteristics of bone structure, remaining hair on the victims is the same color, they're roughly the same age and were killed around the same time."

"You think they might have been sisters?" Angela guessed.

Brennan nodded as she added, "Possibly even twins, though we'll have to wait for DNA to confirm. Hodgins has collected the particulates he needs so I'm going to have Mr. Edison start cleaning the bones while I look over his notes on the other victim. I want to give Booth cause of death as soon as possible."

Angela linked her arm with Brennan's and pulled her toward the platform steps. "First we're going to get lunch at the diner. You need to eat." When Brennan started to protest Angela cut her off. "Bren, sweetie, Booth doesn't let you skips meals and since he's not here I'm taking up the cause. You'll have plenty of time to look for cause of death when we get back. You can even bring Clark's notes and start looking at them while we're eating."

Brennan agreed and the two women walked out and headed for the Royal Diner. Angela pushed open the door and was walking toward the counter when she suddenly stopped. "Uh-oh," she murmured. She backed up and turned Brennan back toward the door. "You know, I've decided I'd rather have something else. I'm not in the mood for diner food."

Brennan protested the sudden change in plans as Angela herded her back outside. "Angela, we're already here so it makes no sense to go somewhere else now. I have a lot to do this afternoon." She noticed Angela looking toward the counter and she glanced in that direction as well. "Oh look, Booth's here." She started to pull the door open again when she saw the blonde woman beside him and realized he wasn't alone.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Brennan felt a queer, queasy feeling in her stomach as she watched Tessa lean over to say something to Booth while resting her hand lightly on his shoulder. She turned away abruptly. "I think I'd rather just go back to the lab Angela."

Angela followed behind Brennan. "No, on second thought I think we should go in and say hello. I'm sure there's nothing going on Bren, Booth's not like that."

"Like what, exactly?"

"The kind of guy who sleeps with you one day and has lunch with an ex-girlfriend the next. I'm sure it's perfectly innocent." Angela was not getting a good feeling about Brennan's calm acceptance of what they'd just seen and she believed what she was telling her friend. Booth wasn't that kind of guy and she was sure he'd never hurt Brennan like that.

"People were not meant to be monogamous Angela. To assume that one person can be everything to another is both illogical and irrational. Booth and I are friends and partners and we had a very satisfying sexual encounter last night. Don't start making it into a fairy tale." Brennan kept her voice steady even as a feeling of overwhelming loss swept through her. Clearly Angela wasn't the one who needed that reminder. If anyone had been romanticizing the events of last night it was her. They had agreed to see each other, to divide their nights at each other's apartments, but at no point had Booth mentioned exclusivity. To be fair she had merely assumed that was what he meant.

Angela resisted the urge to shake Brennan. "Sweetie, that's a load of crap even from you. Booth would never have slept with you if he didn't want something more than a sexual encounter. He'd have gone home with Tessa last night if that's what he wanted - God knows she was willing enough."

"He's with her today so clearly he doesn't object to that scenario."

"We don't know why he's with her today! For all we know they just ran into each other."

"The probability of them running into each other by accident twice in less than 24 hours is not very high given they hadn't seen each other in years," Brennan said. By now they had reached the Jeffersonian and Brennan walked straight back to her office. She just wanted to be alone so she could rationalize what she had seen, compartmentalize it and begin her examination of the second set of remains. Her stomach still felt upset, she had a pain in her chest and the idea of seeing Booth right now made her want to cry. She couldn't work like that and she needed to regain her perspective.

Angela stood in the doorway of Brennan's office for a moment, but she could see that talking to Brennan right now was useless. She sighed as she walked toward her own office. She'd just have to try again later because she did not intend to let Brennan ruin the best relationship she would ever have.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

Booth sat at the counter with Tessa as he waited for his lunch order for Brennan. He found himself thinking about the night before and shifted uncomfortably on the stool as his body reacted automatically. He glanced at Tessa and realized he had missed what she just said. "Sorry, I was just thinking about the uh... the case."

"And Dr. Brennan?" Tessa shifted closer as she rested her hand on his shoulder. "It's nice that you take her lunch when she's too busy to leave the lab."

"We usually eat lunch together every day, but with the case I knew she wouldn't leave the lab today," he explained.

Tessa considered this as she looked at Booth. Despite what she had told him, she had hoped they would have a chance to talk and that it might lead to something else. She was beginning to think that wasn't going to happen though. "You said last night we could get together and talk but I'm getting the impression today that you're not comfortable with that. It's a mixed signal, Seeley."

He leaned against the counter as he looked at her. "That wasn't my intention. The truth is, things.... changed last night between me and Brennan."

Tessa nodded. "I'm not going to say I'm not disappointed, but I'm also not surprised. I sensed something different between you two last night."

"Tessa, even if Bones and I were still just partners, I don't think that would have changed things between you and me. We were over a long time ago." Booth felt the need to make that clear to her as the waitress brought his lunch order to the counter. He paid her and stood up to leave, waiting for Tessa to stand as well.

"No, I understand." She wasn't entirely happy about it but she could see how serious he was. Whatever his new relationship was with Dr. Brennan, it was clearly very important to him. "I wish good things for you, I hope you know that. If Dr. Brennan makes you happy then I'm glad for you." While that was true, she vowed to make sure she ran into Booth from time to time. If things fell apart with his partner, she'd like to have another chance. And if Dr. Brennan was out of the picture, she thought she could make that happen.

Twenty minutes later Booth walked into the lab feeling a sense of anticipation. It had only been a few hours but he had missed Brennan. He could see her on the forensic platform working over the latest set of remains with Clark and Hodgins, Cam and Angela were also there. He swiped his card and bounded up the steps. "Hey Bones! I have your lunch here so why don't you take a break - I'll even sit in your office with you while you eat."

Brennan didn't even look at him as she continued to examine the bones in front of her. "I'm busy, Booth. If I'm hungry I can feed myself. I don't require your presence for that."

Cam and Hodgins both looked up at her words, sensing the sudden tension between the partners. Booth felt confused as he watched her working for a minute. Finally he asked, "Is something wrong?"

"No. Why would anything be wrong?" Her voice was calm, not angry, but he could see something was wrong. There was a rigid tension in her shoulders that belied her expression of serene concentration.

Booth stepped closer and placed his hand on her back. "Bones, can I talk to you for a minute?"

"If you'd like cause of death some time today, then I think my time would be better spent finishing my examination of the remains. Just because we're sleeping together now doesn't mean I'm going to stop what I'm doing every time you walk into the lab." Now he could hear a definite edge to her tone and he found himself wondering what the hell had happened in the last few hours to prompt her sudden change in attitude.

Cam and Hodgins both appeared surprised by Brennan's matter of fact revelation about the change in their relationship while Clark just looked like he wished he was anywhere else on the planet. Angela, however, did not appear shocked and was in fact glaring at Brennan. Booth shrewdly surmised that whatever was going on, Angela knew about it. He decided to try a different approach. "Angela, could I talk to you about the facial reconstruction for the first victim?"

Angela looked at Brennan for a minute before turning toward Booth. "Let's go to my office." Booth followed Angela and when they reached her office she shut the door.

Booth spoke first. "What the hell is going on with Bones?"

Angela sighed as she sat on a chair and motioned for him to sit as well. "I talked Brennan into going to lunch with me earlier. We stopped by the diner and saw you with Tessa." She looked at him expectantly.

Booth's eyebrows drew together. "Are you saying she's jealous? Bones doesn't get jealous, she says it's irrational."

Angela shot him a disbelieving look. "Booth, Brennan might believe all of the anthropological mumbo jumbo she talks about, but she's still a woman with emotions just like any other woman. Of course she's jealous - she might not admit it, but that's what it is. She's feeling insecure and she's hiding behind logic and rationality the way she always does."

"Why didn't you just come in? Tessa and I weren't even eating lunch together - we had coffee while I was waiting for the takeout order to bring over here." Booth started to feel irritation over Brennan's attitude now.

"Because that would have been the logical approach, and she was too busy rationalizing her irrational emotions," Angela replied dryly. "Look, just talk to her. She's obviously feeling insecure about this change in your relationship. Maybe if you talked about it..."

"I tried to get her to talk to me just now. You heard her; she's too busy with her 'examination of the remains'." Now Booth felt angry. "Is that what kind of guy she thinks I am? That I would sleep with her and then move on the next day? We've been friends and partners for a long time, Angela. If she doesn't know me better than that then I'd say we have a bigger problem than her irrational jealousy."

Angela felt like knocking their heads together. "Booth, I don't blame you for being upset but the fact that you're angry makes me think you're also feeling insecure. You two need to talk about what you want from the relationship. Don't make assumptions."

"I told her what I wanted from her. If she didn't hear me, then I'm not sure what else I can say." Booth stood up and handed Angela the takeout bag from the diner. "Here's her lunch in case she gets hungry later. Tell her to call me if she gets cause of death." He walked out, leaving Angela to wonder how two such intelligent people could be so stupid sometimes.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Booth arrived back at the Hoover in a mood that sent the surrounding agents scurrying out of his path. He shut his office door forcefully and sat down, leaning his elbows against his desk. Just a couple of hours ago he felt like nothing could bring him down and he was amazed by how quickly one woman could change all that. Of course he'd known from the moment he met Brennan that things would never be easy with her.

He'd lain awake that morning watching her sleep, awed by the depth of his feelings. The fact that he loved her wasn't what surprised him. Of course he'd known that he loved her – she was his friend and his partner and he'd long ago accepted that she was important to him in a way that not many women ever had been. He worried about her – if she was happy or sad, if she remembered to eat, if she was working too hard. It had become second nature to him to protect her from being hurt, not just physically but emotionally as well. The rest of the world might believe that she was more scientist than woman but he knew deep down that wasn't really true.

The surprise had come with the realization that he might never feel the same way about another woman in his life and that his own happiness had become so dependent upon hers. Booth thought about her behavior at the lab. If he believed Angela then Brennan was jealous of the fact that she'd seen him with Tessa. However uncharacteristic, he conceded that Angela could be right about that. He tried to look at it from Brennan's perspective. Everything had happened very quickly the night before and he knew that he himself was still reeling from the changes between them. Angela was right about something else as well. If he was being honest with himself, he knew that he did feel a little insecure about the status of their new relationship. He wanted more from her, but he was also worried that in pushing for what he really wanted he might drive her away. He knew that emotional intimacy scared her more than bullets and if he needed to slow his own pace to make allowances for her then he was willing.

What bothered him now was not the fact that she might be jealous. Booth admitted that if he'd seen her with someone – say, Sully – today after spending the night with her he wouldn't have liked it much. The difference is that he would have trusted her in the situation and what made him angry was the idea that she thought he could share something so intimate with her and then move on to another woman without even talking about it. He had stood in her kitchen that very morning and told her that he wanted to be with her every night. She knew how he felt about sex, relationships and monogamy. He'd never made a secret of the fact that he was a one woman kind of guy. That was the key here – trust. If nothing else he felt that he had earned her trust and the idea that she might not trust him completely hurt much worse than anything else she could say or do.

Booth tried to put everything out of his mind for the next couple of hours as he caught up on old case notes. He was on edge though as he waited to see if Brennan would call him with information on their case. A couple of hours later he got a hit on Angela's sketch. "Bingo," he said as a missing person's report came up for 17-year-old Claire Reynolds, reported missing a year ago along with her twin sister Casey from the Arlington area. If he was still a betting man, he'd bet his paycheck that the remains would prove to be these two girls. He stood up and walked over to the door, calling for Charlie. He gave him the case numbers and asked him to pull both files and set up an interview with the police detective who had been leading the investigation locally.

He was just sitting back down at his desk when his door opened and Caroline walked in. She marched over to his desk and dropped a pastry box in front of him. "Have some beignets and croissants. I picked them up from my favorite bakery this morning."

Booth eyed the box as if it were a snake coiling to strike at him before shooting her a suspicious look. "What do you want, Caroline?"

"What?" She looked innocent as she sat down across from him. "Can't I just bring some damn good pastry to my friend, or does there have to be a reason for it?"

Booth snorted as he sat back in his chair. "With you there's always a reason, so out with it."

"Consider it a thank you, then," she replied.

"What are you thanking me for and how much blood will I have to sacrifice to earn it?"

"I'm thanking you for the tidy little sum I earned today from betting on you and the good doctor. If you two had to pick a month to finally throw your blind stupidity out the window, I'm happy it was this one. I had a good feeling about it." She looked very pleased with herself as she spoke.

Booth could not believe this. Did everyone in the greater D.C. area know what had happened between them? "Just how in the hell did everyone find out so fast anyway? Up until last night we were strictly partners."

Now it was Caroline's turn to snort. "You two have never been strictly partners. You spend more time together than I did with my ex-husband when we were married and had a child. In my mind it was never a question of if so much as when. Maybe now I can stand to be in the same room with you two without needing a cold shower afterward." She reached across his desk to help herself to one of the beignets in the pastry box. "And as far as the speed of the gossip, Dr. Brennan announced to a full crime scene that you two were knockin' boots. You can trust me when I say that everybody knows about it now, from the janitorial staff up to Judge Eversleigh's office."

Booth sighed as he processed this. "Yeah well you better collect fast." He reached for the pastry box only to find his hands slapped back. "Ow!" he muttered. "What was that for?"

"Seeley Booth, don't tell me you've already managed to screw this up," she threatened.

"Me? Why is it my fault?"

"Because that partner of yours is only a genius when it comes to those bones she loves so much. Normal people things fly right over her head and you know it."

"Look, I appreciate the pep talk and the pastries, but this is between me and Bones and I don't like the idea of everybody talking about it," he said firmly.

Caroline stood up and walked towards the door. "Fine but you better fix it because if I lose out on my winnings I will make sure you two have to see Dr. Sweets for partners therapy every day for the rest of my life. And just so you know, I plan to live forever." She walked out, taking her box of pastries with her.


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Brennan remained on the forensic platform all afternoon, carefully going over the bones of the first victim. Clark stayed with her and by 6:00 they found what they were looking for.

"Here," Brennan said, passing one of the rib bones over to Clark. "What do you see?"

He looked it over carefully under the large magnifying glass and then looked back at her. "Two small slashes on the inside of the bone. Stabbing?"

Brennan nodded as she picked up another rib bone. "There are more marks here."

"This wasn't a knife though. The marks seem to have been formed by a dull, rather than sharp, instrument."

She nodded. "I concur. Please check with Hodgins to see if any tools or weapons were brought in with the evidence and see if you can match anything to the markings on the bone. Continue to make notes on any other marks you find and let me know when I can examine the bones of the second victim."

Brennan stripped off her gloves and walked to her office. While staying busy had helped, she couldn't seem to stop thinking about Booth. All of the images from the day ran through her head – Booth standing in her kitchen as they talked about where they would spend their nights, Booth at the crime scene looking embarrassed by her indiscreetness, Booth with Tessa at the diner, and finally Booth standing on the forensic platform looking hurt and later angry as he walked out without saying goodbye. She knew that Angela was right and she was jealous – she might not always understand feelings, but she recognized that one. She had felt jealousy before, as she had told Booth that evening in his apartment, but she had never before felt it in a relationship. She had always gone into relationships with the knowledge that however temporarily satisfying they might be, they were still temporary. As long as she held onto that belief she couldn't be hurt or disappointed when they eventually ran their course.

But for the first time in her life Brennan was tempted to believe in something more real and lasting. She wanted to hang onto Booth, to this new relationship, so tightly that he couldn't get away even if he wanted to. That need scared her, because if she couldn't get it under control she was afraid it would destroy the rational existence that had saved her when her world fell apart all those years ago. She had learned the hard way to only believe in those things that were tangible, held together by the steel strands of logic and rationality. Somewhere along the way Booth had become one of those tangible things. She had come to rely on his presence in her life as a friend and partner. She supposed it was inevitable that she would eventually want more from him but she had buried that desire after the Epps case. He had drawn a line then and she had respected his choice to keep things on a professional footing. But at some point the line had blurred around the edges, becoming less distinct with each case, each Friday night they spent together, each lunch at the diner. She had pushed them over the edge last night and now that line was a thing of the past. It had represented a safety net in some ways.

While Booth had proven that he was reliable in her life as a friend and partner, this new phase was a vast wasteland of overwhelming uncertainty. Brennan knew she could be difficult in a relationship. Moving in with Pete had ended up being a disaster and he had blamed her inability to connect to people. Booth had proven to be understanding about a lot of things but he was used to dating normal women – women more like Angela, who navigated the dating waters like a seasoned sailor. She worried that eventually she would say or do something that would end this new path they were on. And once this path had been abandoned, could they find their way back to what they had been before? If they couldn't, she was afraid of the feeling of loss that would accompany the eventual fallout. If nothing else, seeing him with Tessa had made her realize that her own happiness had become hopelessly entangled with his presence in her life.

She pulled a folder from her desk drawer and looked over a recent request from one of her colleagues. Dr. Brandon had asked her to spend four weeks with his archaeological dig in South America. He wanted her expertise on several sets of remains that had been uncovered at an ancient burial site and while the work was interesting, she had decided last week to turn down the travel request. Now she wondered if she should reconsider.

Booth stood in the doorway of Brennan's office and watched her as she looked over information in a folder she had removed from her desk. She had that little-girl-lost look on her face, the one she got when she was thinking about certain things like her family or her time spent in the foster system. That look always brought his protective instincts scrambling to the surface and he felt some of his anger fading. He knew that Caroline was correct – Brennan was a genius when it came to science and bones, but normal people interactions and relationships were difficult for her to grasp. He knew that if she was feeling even a fraction of what he'd been feeling all day, she was probably scared and confused. As much as he wanted to assure her that everything would be fine, if this new relationship between them had any chance of working she had to be willing to meet him halfway. If she couldn't do that, couldn't trust him to be there to help her work through the things that scared her, he really saw no way forward for them.

Brennan heard a knock at her open door and looked up to see Booth standing there holding another takeout bag. "I figured you might be working late so I brought you dinner," he said as he walked into her office.

She cleared her throat and willed her heart rate to slow down. The nerves she had been holding back all afternoon began to creep forward again and she put the still open folder down on her desk. "Thank you."

Booth nodded as he sat down across from her. He glanced down at the folder she had been looking at and felt something cold grip his chest. It was a field work request and it couldn't have come at a worse time as far as he was concerned. "Going somewhere?" He kept his tone even although the temptation to shout at her was strong.

She looked down at the folder and then back at him. "I'm not sure yet. I was going to turn it down but now I'm thinking it over again."

Booth considered his next words carefully. He didn't want to push too hard but he couldn't let her think it was okay with him if she ran. "I think before you make that decision we should talk about what happened today."

"I think we've found cause of death for the first victim," Brennan said suddenly, picking up a file and giving it to Booth. "Clark is still working, but the most likely cause at the moment is stabbing from some sort of blunt edged instrument."

Booth looked at her silently for a moment. "Ok. Let me know when you match it to a weapon. I got a hit on Angela's sketch and we should have DNA confirmation by tomorrow."

"I'll likely be here very late tonight so you don't have to wait for me. I can sleep on the couch or take a cab home later," Brennan said as she looked back down at her desk.

"So that's it then? You're not going to talk to me at all about what happened earlier?"

Brennan fought to keep her hands steady as she began to look through the folders on her desk. "I just need some time to think, Booth."

Booth thought more time to think was the last thing she needed. Thinking too much would have her on a plane to South America and he didn't think he could deal with that. "Bones, I know you always say you're the brain person and I'm the heart person, but this time I'm asking you to use your heart and think about how you're feeling for once. I want to make this work, but if you refuse to talk to me and decide to run then you're effectively ending it." He stood up and walked out, leaving Brennan feeling more confused than ever.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Max watched Booth leave his daughter's office and suppressed a groan. Like everyone else he had heard the gossip today. Theories were flying all over the Jeffersonian – first about the change in their relationship and now about the cause of the rift between them. Max had his own theories and he debated for a moment about which one he should tackle first. He decided to start with Tempe. He walked into her office and saw her leaning her head back against her chair as she wiped her eyes. His heart clenched – he hated to see his baby hurting like this.

"Hey baby girl," he called out as he walked in and sat down.

Brennan looked up at her father and rolled her eyes. "I'm not your baby girl anymore, Dad. I'm a fully grown woman," she said as she turned back toward her computer. The last thing she needed was her father asking what was wrong.

Max smiled at her. "It doesn't matter; you'll still always be my baby girl. Are you hungry?"

"Booth brought me dinner just now actually."

He nodded in approval of this gesture. They might be fighting but Booth still took care of his daughter, making sure she had the things she didn't think to ask for, and knowing that made him feel better about not having the role in her life that he would like to have. She would never accept the same level of care from him or Russ, but she now accepted it as a given when Booth was the one offering. Max recalled that day at the church when Booth arrived just as he and Russ were preparing to leave Brennan behind once again. He'd seen the fear on Booth's face as he raced to protect his partner. The fear had quickly turned to realization and resolve but the instant Tempe called out to him that resolve had wavered. Booth had chosen his daughter over duty that day and Max had known then that this was a man worthy of her.

Max decided to get straight to the point. "I think you should go after Booth and talk to him."

Brennan darted a suspicious look at her father. "Were you eavesdropping on us?"

"Of course not honey, but if you don't want everyone to know what's going on between you and Booth you should probably have your arguments a little less publicly," Max pointed out.

"We didn't argue exactly and I'm not sure I want to talk to you about this."

"I'm not saying you should talk to me, though I'd be happy to give you my fatherly advice. I'm saying you should talk to Booth instead of shutting him out."

Brennan turned back to her computer. "You don't even know what's going on between us and even if you did, I wouldn't ask for your advice on the subject."

Max regarded his daughter thoughtfully. She was so much like him that it was scary sometimes – stubborn and analytical her mother had always said. Of course he knew she wouldn't appreciate the comparison. "I know that if you're not careful you're going to let fear of abandonment chase away a man who would rope the moon for you if you asked him to. He's what your mother would have called a keeper. She'd have liked him you know."

Brennan turned back toward her father with an expression of exasperation. "You should know how I feel about psychology since you're the one who always said it was a ridiculously soft science, and as far as roping the moon – aside from being impossible, I have no idea what that's supposed to mean."

Max stood up and rounded her desk to place a kiss on the top of her head. "It might be impossible honey, but the point is he'd try. Any man who attempts the impossible to make you happy is one worth keeping. Just think about that, ok?" He squeezed her shoulder and turned to go, hoping his words would help her reach the right decision.

Brennan tried to put her father's words out of her mind as she kept working. She answered emails, reviewed x-rays and finished writing up her initial observations on the current case. By 8:00 she was looking at the trip request again. The urge to compartmentalize as she always did was overwhelming, just as overwhelming as all the emotions she had been feeling for the last couple of days. She heard footsteps coming towards her office and looked up to see Angela, who looked determined.

"Ok Brennan, it's time we talked," she said firmly. She walked around Brennan's desk and pulled her up. "Grab your things because you're coming with me."

"What? I still have work to do Angela," Brennan protested.

"No you don't; nothing that can't wait until tomorrow anyway. And just what the hell is this?" Angela picked up the trip request on the desk. "You're going to South America?"

"I haven't decided that yet." Brennan's eyes slid away from Angela's as she said this and Angela shot her a look of disbelief.

_Oh no you don't_, Angela thought as she tore the request into tiny pieces and dropped them into the wastebasket. "If you go to South America, I will personally get on a plane and drag your butt back here. It's time to grow up sweetie. I know the world is a scary place, full of scary emotions, but sooner or later you have to stop running from the things that make you uncomfortable. Booth is a good guy and nothing was going on between him and Tessa at the diner."

Brennan looked at her friend in surprise. "I know that Ange. I'll admit at first I felt jealous – it wasn't rational but I definitely felt it. But Booth believes in monogamy and I know that however he ended up with Tessa this afternoon there was nothing behind it."

Angela was confused now. "Then I don't understand Bren. If that's not the problem, then what is it exactly? Because Booth thought the same thing I did you know. That's why he was so upset."

"He thinks I don't trust him?" That had never occurred to her.

"I know it's shocking, but people are funny that way Bren. When you don't communicate they tend to imagine the worst."

Brennan thought about this for a minute. "I never meant for him to think that. I just needed time to think, to process everything. But it's not him that I don't trust Angela."

Angela waited for Brennan to get her jacket and purse and then followed her out of the office. "This is about what Pete told you isn't it? Sweetie, first of all that was a long time ago and you were a different person then. Second, I met Pete and he was a jerk." They walked out of the Jeffersonian and headed toward Angela's car.

"I'm still awkward and I miss social cues all the time. Booth has to explain things to me and help other people understand me so they won't get offended. What if he gets tired of having a girlfriend who isn't normal?" Even though these thoughts had been repeating in her head all afternoon it still hurt to voice them. "I'm not used to having doubts about my capabilities but I'm worried because we're so different. I'm worried that what I'm offering is less than what he's used to and eventually that's going to matter to him."

"So ask him how he feels about that. If you don't talk to him you'll never know and no offense but you're the last person who should be making assumptions about that kind of thing." Angela felt relieved that the problem stemmed from Brennan's insecurities about her own ability to function in the relationship and not a lack of trust in Booth. She also got the feeling that Brennan wanted his reassurance; she just wasn't sure how to ask for it.

"So where are we going?' Brennan asked.

"We're going to get a glass of wine and talk about this a little more. Then I'll drive you home if you like," Angela replied. _Or to Booth's apartment_, she thought to herself. One way or another she planned to make sure Brennan didn't run away this time.


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Brennan stood uncertainly outside Booth's building. She and Angela had talked more over a couple of glasses of wine and ten minutes ago it had seemed like a good idea to have Angela drop her off here rather than at her own apartment. Now she wondered if Booth would even want to talk to her this late. Before she could lose her nerve she entered the building and took the elevator up to his apartment. She knocked twice, heart pounding as she waited for him to open the door.

Booth heard the knock at his door and glanced at his watch, wondering who would be coming by at 11:00. He was surprised to open the door and find Brennan standing on the other side. She seemed both nervous and upset and he immediately reached out to guide her through the door. "Are you ok?" he asked. The hand he was holding felt cold and he led her over to sit on his couch.

"Booth, I should have talked to you earlier when you came by the lab," she blurted out. "Angela said that you thought I was upset because I didn't trust you with Tessa, but that's not true."

"It's not?" he asked. "I mean, I'm glad if that's true but then I really don't understand your sudden change in attitude from this morning to this afternoon. If it wasn't jealousy then what was it?"

She was quiet for so long he wondered if she was going to answer him. Finally she spoke. "I was jealous but by the time we arrived back at the lab I knew it was irrational. I admit I didn't like seeing you with Tessa but it wasn't because I didn't trust you. I think it's more that she represents the kind of woman I'm not and never will be, and I wondered how you could be happy with me. I'm an attractive, successful woman at the top of her field but I really stink when it comes to interacting socially with other people." Her voice was slightly mournful now.

Booth felt a stab of amusement at her bluntness. "What makes you think you 'stink' exactly?"

Brennan raised one eyebrow. "Because you've said those exact words to me before, Booth; so have Angela and Russ, Sweets…"

"Ok you're right, I admit it – you stink. You're better than you used to be though," he offered helpfully.

She smiled at him. "Really?"

He put his arm around her and she leaned against him. "Yes really. The Temperance Brennan I met five years ago wouldn't be here talking to me like this. She'd be on a plane to South America." That was definitely true and he found it encouraging that she was here in spite of her fear.

"When things got bad between me and Pete I left," she said softly. "He told me that I was cold and unfeeling and that I was letting my personal issues get in the way of our relationship."

Booth tightened his arm around her shoulders. "I never met Pete but he sounds like a bastard to me. If nothing else he was an idiot for letting you get on that plane."

"You're saying that if I had decided to go to South America you would have tried to stop me?"

"Damn straight. I've been sitting here tonight coming up with different reasons I could have you pulled off a plane and detained," he quipped, though he was only half joking. The longer he'd thought about it this evening, the more certain he'd become that it would be a huge mistake to let her go without a fight.

Brennan turned toward him and held his gaze. "Booth, I'm afraid that we're too different to make this work. Look how long it took us to really make a partnership work and to become friends. What if pushing our way to this new level of intimacy is too much for us to handle?" She took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts before she continued. "As much as I want that intimacy with you, I don't want to sacrifice everything else we have for it. A logical examination of our situation leads me to believe that it's better if we take a step back." Even as she said the words her stomach churned with denial.

Booth reached up to push her hair back and then leaned forward to press his lips to hers. The kiss was slow and sweet, the perfect balm to the ragged emotions both had experienced that day. When he pulled back she stared up at him, flushed and so beautiful it made his heart ache. "Not everything in the universe is logical, Bones. You said it yourself, remember? You and me – we defy logic. You're the brains and I'm the heart and together we're one hell of a team whether we're on the job or not. Will it be difficult? Will we get mad and fight sometimes? The answer is yes to both questions, but the simple truth is that no matter how illogical it seems, you and I make sense."

Brennan considered his words. "You have no idea how much I want to believe that."

"If you can't believe in anything else, believe me when I tell you that I love you. I don't think I can take a step back at this point, Bones. I love you and no matter how difficult things may get, you're the only woman I can imagine wanting to be with. I'm willing to do whatever I can to help you believe that and I can be as patient as you need me to be."

The feelings that swept through her with his words were scary and wonderful at the same time. She leaned into him and kissed him, this time with all the passion and need she'd been holding back. After a moment Booth stood and led her back to the bedroom. They undressed each other carefully, hands lingering on exposed skin. Brennan pulled him toward the bed and sat, scooting back to the center. He followed and covered her body with his. The skin to skin contact made her nerve endings jump with electricity as he kissed her again. Every touch, every kiss from him made a mockery of every other sexual encounter she'd ever had.

His lips left hers and slid along her jaw line before traveling down her neck. One hand slid over her breast as he pressed a line of kisses along her collarbone. He worshipped her body, putting every ounce of feeling he possessed into each kiss and caress. One hand slid between her thighs to find the center of her desire and he licked and nipped gently at her breasts as he stroked her. She hit her peak swiftly and as she drifted back down he grasped her thighs with both hands and entered her. He slid one hand into her hair as the other grasped her hip to help guide their movements.

Brennan pulled Booth's mouth to hers as they began to move together, slowly at first, then faster and faster. He buried his face in her neck and she felt him suck gently at the spot that drove her crazy. She moaned and bucked beneath him as waves of pleasure cascaded through her body. She held onto him, tilting her hips to accept his final thrusts as he found his own release. Afterward they lay together, hands sliding over sweat dampened skin. A feeling of contentment settled over her and she suddenly wrapped her arms tightly around him. "I do love you, Booth. I'm still scared, but I can't deny how I feel."

He turned his head to press his lips against her temple. "I promise you that I am not going anywhere. We're going to have problems, but we'll find a way to make it work. Can you believe that, for me?"

Brennan yawned as she settled her head against his chest. "If nothing else, I can believe in you."


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

By Wednesday they had enough evidence on the murder case to arrest a suspect by the name of Will Dosier. Booth looked over at Brennan in the seat beside him. "Now when we get there I want you to stay back."

"Booth I can take care of myself. Why do we need Perotta and Barton?" she asked, gesturing to the car following them.

"Because this guy has a jacket as long as my arm, Bones. Some of them are weapons charges, so you're going to listen to me for once and just stay in the car." She shot him a pointed look and he said, "Ok, will you at least wait _beside_ the car?"

Brennan sighed. "Fine, I'll wait beside the car. You really think this is the guy who killed both of them?"

"Yeah, I do. The parents confirmed that Casey was dating him, something they didn't approve of since he was several years older. He got her involved in the drug scene and Claire had several fights with her sister about that. I think Claire followed them to that field, there was some kind of altercation and Dosier killed her. Casey reacted, turned on him and he killed her too."

"It makes sense," she admitted. "Plus we determined that the murder weapon was a carpenter's chisel and he does work as a carpenter."

They pulled up in front of a slightly rundown house, got out and waited for Perotta and Barton to join them. Booth said, "Ok, here's the plan. Barton will go to the front door while I go to the back. Perotta will wait beside the house in case he takes another way out and tries to run. Bones will be waiting by the car – right?" He waited for her nod before they all walked toward the house, weapons drawn.

Brennan heard Barton knock and identify himself as FBI. Perotta had already edged around the side of the house and Brennan craned her neck to see around the other side. Barton finally busted the door open and entered from the front. Brennan wondered who was watching the other side and decided it wouldn't hurt to just take a look. She approached cautiously and paused suddenly as she heard a noise around the corner. She raised her hands, preparing to fight, and when she heard the person step around the corner she struck.

"Ouch!" Perotta jumped backward, blood streaming from her nose. "What the hell?"

"Oh, sorry," Brennan apologized. "I thought Dosier was coming around the corner. You should have identified yourself."

Perotta shot her a look of disbelief. Suddenly they heard Booth shout, "FBI, stop or I'll shoot!" Brennan looked up to see Dosier come running around the side of the house straight towards her.

Booth cursed as he saw that Dosier was running straight at Brennan. He couldn't get off a shot without risking hitting her, so he picked up his speed and chased after him. He saw Brennan step into Dosier's path and fear gripped him – his entire body felt cold with it.

Brennan waited until Dosier got within striking distance and lashed out her foot as she grabbed the back of his collar and flipped him. She immediately pressed the heel of her boot to his throat and said, "Gotcha dirtsack!"

Booth reached down to flip Dosier over and cuff him. "It's dirtbag, Bones, and what the hell were you doing? You said you would wait by the car."

"I just wanted to check this side of the house."

Booth turned to Perotta, who was still holding a tissue to her nose. "What happened to you?"

Perotta looked aggravated. "Dr. Brennan happened – apparently she thought I was the suspect rounding the corner. You were seriously worried about her in the field? Because it seems to me that the general public has more to worry about than she does."

Booth stifled a laugh as he marched Dosier over to the car and put him in the backseat. He turned to Brennan, who appeared quite satisfied about something. "You don't seem very sorry about hitting her."

"Well, you did twinkle at her," Brennan pointed out.

"I never twinkled," he protested.

"Admit it – you thought about sleeping with her," she prodded.

Booth relented. "Maybe I _flirted_ a little, but I never seriously thought about sleeping with her. My heart was already taken; I just hadn't realized it yet." He walked around to the passenger side with Brennan. She looked around and then pushed him back against the door. "Bones, what are you….." he broke off as she pressed her body into his and kissed him. It was hot – so hot he felt himself going from 0 to 60 in an instant, and he wrapped his arms around her as he returned her passionate embrace.

Suddenly she stepped back, eyes sparkling as she said, "Watching you pull your gun and chase the bad guy always turns me on." She trailed a finger down his tie before opening the passenger door to get in.

Booth took a deep breath as he willed his body to calm down. "Good to know," he muttered.


	18. Chapter 18

Thanks for all the reviews everyone! We probably have one more chapter to go on this story - I have some ideas for a possible sequel but I have one more ongoing fic to finish up first. I'll try to update again by the weekend. Thanks for reading!

Chapter 18

Booth watched as Brennan signed books for Washington's elite. Senators and judges mingled with many other movers and shakers of the city's rich and famous. Sometimes he forgot about this side of Brennan. When he looked at her he saw his partner, the world's foremost forensic anthropologist, and the woman he loved. He was man enough to admit he wasn't entirely comfortable seeing her as the wealthy bestselling author in this environment because it reminded him that he would never be on an equal footing with her where finances were concerned. While he had no intention of allowing this to drive a wedge between them, it niggled at the back of his mind. His thoughts were interrupted by a tap on his shoulder. He turned to see Tessa smiling at him.

"Seeley, I figured I would see you here. This is a friend of mine, Mark Ballencroft." She gestured to the tall blonde man at her side. "Mark, Special Agent Booth of the FBI and Dr. Brennan's partner."

"Nice to meet you," Booth said as he shook the other man's hand. "I'm a little surprised to see you here Tessa. Do you read Bones' books?"

"I do, actually. I find the reading rather interesting since I can picture the characters so easily," she replied as she raised one eyebrow knowingly. "Mark is the bigger fan though and has the clout to actually receive an invitation to this launch party."

"I'm really excited to meet Dr. Brennan tonight," Mark said. "And I believe she is headed this way."

Booth turned his head to see Brennan walking toward them. She looked beautiful tonight in a purple scoop necked dress and heels, her hair curling loosely around her shoulders in a way that made his fingers itch to slide through the shiny strands. Her smoky gaze met his and she smiled up at him as she slid one arm around his waist and leaned in to kiss him. Booth wrapped his arm around her, holding her to his side as she stepped back slightly.

Brennan turned to acknowledge the two people watching them. "Tessa, it's nice to see you again."

Tessa looked a little stunned but recovered quickly. "You too, Dr. Brennan. This is my friend Mark."

Brennan extended a hand to him as they exchanged pleasantries. "I see that you have my novel with you. I'll be happy to sign it for you," she offered.

Mark grinned happily as he handed it over. "That would be great, thanks. I have to say that I really enjoy the forensic details of your books, Dr. Brennan. I was interested in the subject myself at university but family duty called."

"Ballencroft – as in Ballencroft Technologies?" Booth questioned. He noted Brennan's confused expression and explained. "They handle a lot of important communications and equipment contracts for the Department of Defense."

Mark nodded. "Guilty as charged. Not nearly as interesting as your jobs, but we do what we have to right? I was just about to get some champagne for Tessa. Can I get something for you Dr. Brennan?"

"White wine, thank you." He nodded and walked away just as Booth's phone rang.

Booth glanced at the display and squeezed Brennan's hand before he stepped away to answer it. Brennan looked back to find Tessa watching her thoughtfully. She wondered what had brought Tessa here tonight. While she might not be able to read people as Booth did, she felt certain that it had nothing to do with having a book signed. Brennan decided to be direct. "Why are you here tonight Tessa? If you still have some interest in pursuing social ties with Booth then I feel that I should tell you that he and I are currently engaged in both a romantic and sexual relationship."

Tessa looked surprised and then laughed. "I had forgotten how direct you could be. I appreciate your candor though so I'll be honest and admit to being curious. Booth mentioned that you were involved now and I wondered how involved."

"It's not a casual encounter if that's what you're asking. I believe what we have is a mutually satisfying relationship that I feel comfortable classifying as completely monogamous." Brennan was surprised by the feeling of satisfaction she felt as she spoke. She had never before felt such certainty about her emotional ties to another person. She had always believed that such ties were fragile at best and therefore not to be trusted. But the bond she felt with Booth was strong and while she had no scientific method for testing it, she somehow knew she could trust in it.

Tessa tilted her head as she considered Brennan's words. "I can respect that. It's always been you, from the moment he met you I think. He never wanted to admit it, and we both tried to overcome it, but you were somehow always there between us. I hope you realize how lucky you are."

Brennan glanced over at Booth as he flipped his phone shut and began walking back to her, smiling in that way that made her toes curl in her shoes. "I really do," she said softly.

Several hours later Brennan snuggled into Booth's side as he leaned over to switch off the bedside lamp. She was pleasantly exhausted from a very thorough examination of their personal laws of physics and she tightened her arms around him as he turned back to her.

"Are you cold?" he asked, running a hand down her arm as he pressed a kiss to her temple.

She shook her head. "Tessa asked about our relationship tonight," she said.

Booth turned his head and tried to read her expression in the dim light. "Really? What did you tell her?"

"In anthropological terms, I advised her to back it up," Brennan replied smugly.

Booth had to laugh. "I think you mean back off, Bones."

"Back off then," she amended. "She understood me perfectly though."

"I'm sure she did," he said, smiling as kissed her again. She shivered as he moved his lips to her ear. "Does that make you the alpha female?"

"The alpha female should always defend her position in the social hierarchy," she murmured as his lips worked a path down the side of her neck. She gasped as he suddenly rolled over to pull her on top of him.

"I find that I have no problem with your position as the alpha female," Booth said as his hands slid up her sides to cup her breasts. He groaned slightly as she settled on him firmly and leaned down to kiss him in a way that brought his entire body to attention once more.

She broke the kiss and said nipped his jaw playfully. "I'm glad, because this is one alpha female who plans to stay on top."


	19. Chapter 19

**I intended for this to be the last chapter but I haven't had time to edit the second part so I will have one more chapter posted soon. Thanks for reading and reviewing! =)**

Chapter 19

Saturday morning found Booth and Brennan at the diner for breakfast before picking up Parker for the weekend. Brennan pushed her fruit around on her plate but Booth noticed she wasn't eating much.

Finally he said, "Hey Bones, is something bothering you? You said you were hungry earlier but you're not eating anything."

She looked at him for a moment before she looked back at her plate. "I'm just not as hungry as I thought I was."

He continued to eat but didn't take his eyes off of her. Clearly something was bothering her but he wasn't sure if now was the time to push the issue since they were on their way to get Parker. He debated it silently as he paid the check and they headed back to the car.

Booth opened the door for Brennan before walking around to get in. He started to put the key in the ignition but stopped and turned to face her. "What's wrong Bones? And don't say nothing because I know better and something has definitely been bothering you all morning."

Brennan sighed. "I'm a little concerned about what Parker might think about our relationship. Maybe we shouldn't tell him right away."

Booth reached over and took her hand, rubbing his thumb over her fingers. "You're worried he's going to be upset that we're dating now?"

"He holds the most important place in your life Booth so his opinion carries weight. In any society when a new member enters a family unit there is a disruption to the routine and customs of that unit. I don't want to be the cause of any disruption."

"Parker loves you Bones. He also loves it when you join us at the diner or the park or the museum. He thinks you're the smartest person he knows," Booth pointed out gently.

"I am the smartest person he knows," Brennan acknowledged. "I know that he enjoys my company occasionally but he's not used to me being around all the time. And Rebecca also might not like it if Parker stays at my apartment or if I'm staying at yours when he's there. Perhaps it's best that we not stay together when he's visiting."

Booth was silent for a moment. "Is that what you want; not to be involved in that part of my life?"

"No of course not but I don't want to cause a problem. What do you think Rebecca will say? She already gives you a hard time about Parker and I don't want to contribute to that."

"Rebecca and I have been on much better terms in the last year or so Bones. She has relationships and her boyfriends have stayed over so she has no room to comment on my life. I want you to be involved in my life, especially when it comes to Parker. There is no one I trust more with him than you. I don't think Rebecca will be petty about this but if she is, then I'll talk to a lawyer about petitioning for formal visitation rights. He's my son; I pay regular child support to her for him and she has no right to keep him from me. I've never pushed her for a formal agreement because I didn't want to rock the boat but I will if I have to."

"Have you ever introduced any other women to Parker?" Brennan asked curiously.

Booth hesitated before responding. "He met Tessa twice."

"And how did he respond to her?"

"You know Bones, that was a long time ago so I don't think his reaction is relevant to this discussion," he hedged.

"Booth, even I can see you're avoiding the subject. From your reaction I'm left to assume that Parker did not respond well to the presence of a woman in your life."

"He was four and Tessa is not really that great with kids. He's always liked you much better." Booth finally started the car and drove out of the parking lot of the diner.

"But I've never been your girlfriend," Brennan countered.

"No but even as my partner you've held a place in my life far more important than any of the few girlfriends I've had. I've left Parker in your care at the lab, Bones. I have never left Parker with anyone else before. "

Brennan was silent for a while as she thought about this. She had never considered that when Booth left Parker at the lab with her he was demonstrating his faith in her ability to care for him. From an anthropological view she should have recognized it as such and was now surprised she hadn't.

She looked back over at Booth as they turned down Rebecca's street. "I'll trust your judgment in this situation as I have no prior experience to draw from. Do you want me to come in while you talk to Rebecca?"

He shook his head. "No, I'll send Parker out to wait with you while I talk to her. It will be fine, don't worry." He smiled at her as he turned into the driveway.


	20. Chapter 20

**Ok guys, this chapter brings us to the end of the journey. I have some ideas for a sequel but it may be a while before I am able to start on it. I have one more ongoing fic I need to finish first. Thanks a lot for reading and I hope you enjoyed the ride!**

Chapter 20

The door opened as Booth approached the house and Parker came running toward his father. "Daddy!" He shouted, throwing himself into Booth's arms.

Booth hugged him. "Hey little man, are you ready to have some fun today?"

"Of course I am!" His expression indicated he thought his father was silly for suggesting otherwise.

Booth looked up at Rebecca standing in the doorway. "Then do me a favor and go keep Bones company in the car while I talk to your mom for a minute ok?"

Parker's expression lit up. "Bones is coming with us? Cool!" He ran toward the car eagerly.

"What's up Seeley?" Rebecca asked curiously as she handed him Parker's overnight bag.

Booth hesitated for a moment as he thought about the best way to approach this subject with her. "Bones is going to be spending the weekend with me and Parker. Or we might spend the weekend at her apartment; we haven't decided yet. I just wanted to talk to you about it first and see how you feel about that."

Rebecca nodded thoughtfully. "I see. Is this related to a case?"

He shook his head. "No it's personal. Bones and I are together now; we have a personal relationship." He tried to gauge Rebecca's reaction to this news but her expression was – well strange. Finally her lips twitched and she started laughing.

"What's so funny?" He asked, feeling slightly indignant.

"You are Seeley – were you really worried about telling me this?" She rolled her eyes as she shook her head.

"I don't know, maybe a little. I take it you don't have a problem with it?"

"Seeley, you and Dr. Brennan have had a 'personal relationship' for years. If I'd had a problem with it I would have said something long before now. The truth is I like Dr. Brennan – she's a little strange sometimes but I can tell she genuinely cares about both you and Parker and as Parker's mother I can appreciate that. She goes out of her way to make time for him at the lab and she encourages his interest in school. He actually thinks science is 'cool' now."

Booth smiled. "Yeah, she's always made time for him no matter how busy her schedule is."

"Do you remember the last time we were together and I answered your phone when she called?" When he nodded she continued. "I knew then you had more feelings for her than you wanted to admit to. I'll never forget the look on your face – I felt like the other woman."

"Do you think Parker will be okay with it?" Booth asked.

"Parker asked me once if she was your girlfriend and I told him no. He's never brought it up again. I don't see why he would have a problem with it. Just talk to him and if he gets upset, I'll talk to him. This is a good thing for you Seeley and if you're happy I can only imagine he will be too." She hugged him before going back into the house.

Brennan looked at Booth as he got back into the car. "That seemed to go well."

"Much better than expected actually." He turned to look at Parker. "Okay bub here's the plan – we're going to the park first, throw a ball around, eat some hot dogs; then Bones has a surprise for you at the museum this afternoon before we go eat dinner. How does that sound?"

Parker nodded enthusiastically. "Cool!"

The day passed quickly for them. Parker laughed at Brennan's cluelessness over the rules of baseball and began coaching her on the proper way to throw and catch the ball. She caught the hang of it quickly and praised his coaching ability. They ate lunch in the park after purchasing food from vendors – Booth and Parker going for the hotdogs while Brennan settled on a veggie wrap.

They spent the afternoon at the Jeffersonian where Brennan had arranged for Parker to have access to a new exhibit that was not open to the public yet. It featured the discovery of a new type of dinosaur and Parker was thrilled that he would be able to go back to school and tell his friends about it before they could even see it. He listened carefully to the discovering paleontologist, Dr. Winters, as he explained what the dinosaur had likely eaten and how he had died. He then presented Parker with a dinosaur fossil; Parker held it carefully, his face bright with the excitement of the day.

After the museum visit they picked up some pizzas and took them back to Brennan's apartment. Parker was still babbling eagerly about the day's activities as he sat down at the table to eat. Brennan got plates and cups for the pizza and soda and took them back to the table. She looked over at Booth, wondering when he planned to bring the subject of their new relationship up to Parker.

Booth let Parker finish one slice of pizza before he cleared his throat. "Hey Parker I want to talk to you about something."

Parker looked apprehensive. "Am I in trouble?"

Booth shook his head. "No of course not; why would you think you're in trouble?"

"You have that serious look on your face that usually means I'm in trouble about something." Parker took another bite of pizza. "So what do you want to talk to me about?"

"Bones was thinking about spending the whole weekend with us and I wanted to know how you feel about that," Booth said.

Parker shrugged. "I like Bones, Dad; why would that bother me? Hey can we stay here instead? She has a pool and we can go swimming tomorrow."

Booth looked at Brennan, who nodded. "That's fine with me Booth."

Booth watched Parker carefully, who continued to eat his pizza. "Sure bub, we can go swimming tomorrow after church. "

Parker pumped his fist. "Yes!" He took another giant bite of pizza and then said, mouth full, "Does this mean Bones is your girlfriend now?"

Booth nodded. "Yeah, that's what it means. Is that okay with you?"

"I told mom I thought Bones was your girlfriend a long time ago. She said no and I didn't want to hurt her feelings so I didn't argue with her."

"Bones and I were friends for a long time, bub – the girlfriend part is new. What made you think she was my girlfriend?" Booth asked curiously.

"When Steve's dad got a new girlfriend he only saw her on the weekend, but you were with Bones almost every day. Steve said that's what happened with his mom before she got married again, so I figured you and Bones would get married too someday. So will you?"

"What?" Booth asked, casting a nervous glance at Brennan. The relationship was new enough without her getting freaked out over Parker bringing up marriage.

"Will you get married? Because I think that would be cool – on Parents' Day at school we could get Bones to come too. And her apartment is nicer than yours," Parker pointed out.

Booth shifted uncomfortably in his chair. "We haven't talked about marriage Parker, we're just dating."

"But you've been dating Bones for a long time Dad; you're not getting any younger. At least that's what Steve's mom said. Plus I want a baby brother or sister and when I asked Mom she said no." He cast a speculative look in Brennan's direction.

Booth wondered how the conversation had gotten so out of his control. From dating to marriage and babies? He'd be lucky if Brennan didn't reconsider that trip request before the day was over. "Bones and I have been partners for 4 years Parker but she's only been my girlfriend for about a week. There's a difference."

Parker rolled his eyes. "If you say so but I don't see how it's different. You still eat together every day and she still comes to the park with us and we go to the lab and to the museum to see her."

Brennan spoke up suddenly. "Parker, do you remember the science experiment you and Max did in the lab a few weeks ago? You started with a small experiment, which resulted in a small reaction; then you changed the parameters of the experiment to garner a bigger reaction."

Parker nodded. "That was a cool experiment; we only made a few changes but we got a much bigger bang out of it!"

"My relationship with your father is like that experiment. We've changed the parameters and we need time to get used to the new reaction that resulted."

"So there's a bigger bang now that you're his girlfriend?"

Booth swallowed hard to control his laughter as he watched Brennan and Parker having such a serious conversation about the "big bang" of his relationship with Brennan.

"Yes – the reaction is much bigger now," Brennan agreed. "Do you understand?"

Parker nodded as he took another bite of pizza. "Ok."

After Parker was settled in the guest room later that night, Booth crawled into bed to join Brennan. "You handled that conversation with Parker really well you know."

"Thank you. I felt that if I presented it logically he would understand it. He's very intelligent for his age," she said.

"So all that stuff he said about marriage and baby brothers or sisters didn't bother you?" Booth ventured casually.

"While I haven't spent much time around children, I think it's normal for children to ask such questions. Russ said that Amy's girls have also asked for a baby brother." She looked at him. "Did it bother you for him to ask those questions?"

"No, of course not; I just know how you feel about the subject. The truth is…." He paused for moment before continuing. "The truth is that I like the idea of having a child with you." His heart rate sped up with this admission.

Brennan was quiet for so long that Booth longed to snatch the words from the air between them. The last thing he wanted to do was push her when they were still adjusting to their new relationship.

Brennan finally scooted closer to him and settled against his chest. "I've always held firm opinions on both marriage and having children, but I meant what I said to Parker. We've adjusted the parameters of our relationship and as a scientist I have to allow for change as a result. I didn't believe in love but I love you more than I thought was possible," she admitted.

Booth shifted until Brennan lay next to him. He leaned down and kissed her slowly, sweetly. "I love you too." She wrapped her arms around him as he kissed her again. Finally he raised his head, bracing his arms on either side of her body. "Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to explore the "big bang" part of our relationship a little more."

She arched her body into his as he began placing hot kisses on the side of her neck and shoulder. "I love a good experiment," she agreed.


End file.
